Why Isn't My PHP session_destroy() Working?

PHP: Unraveling the Mystery of session_destroy() Dysfunction

Encountering difficulties in destroying session variables despite invoking session_destroy() can be perplexing. This article delves into the reasons why session_destroy() may fail and explores alternative methods for terminating PHP sessions.

Why isn't session_destroy() Functioning?

The primary culprit behind the non-functioning of session_destroy() is the absence of session initialization. For session_destroy() to execute successfully, the session must have been previously started using session_start(). Failure to initialize the session prior to attempting to destroy it will result in an error.

Alternative Methods for Session Destruction

Aside from session_destroy(), there are alternative mechanisms available for terminating sessions in PHP:

1. session_unset(): This method unsets all session variables, effectively emptying the session array.
2. session_regenerate_id(): This function creates a new session ID and invalidates the old one.
3. setcookie(session_name(), NULL): Setting the session cookie to NULL expirates the cookie, terminating the session.

Example Usage:

To demonstrate the correct usage of session handling in conjunction with session_destroy(), consider the following code snippet:

session_start();

if (isset($_SESSION['LAST_ACTIVITY']) & (time() - $_SESSION['LAST_ACTIVITY'] > 1800)) {
    session_destroy();
}

By explicitly invoking session_start(), we ensure that the session is initialized before attempting to destroy it. This approach guarantees that the session is invalidated successfully.

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