CodeIgniter: checking if user logged in for multiple pages - codeigniter

Question

I have a controller, which maps to section of my site and all of the pages within it (methods) should only appear if the user is logged in. Otherwise they should be redirected back to a login screen.
To get it working I've just done this:
function index() {
if ($this->session->userdata('logged_in')) {
$this->load->view('main');
} else {
redirect('/login');
}
}
function archive() {
if ($this->session->userdata('logged_in')) {
and so on... repeating that check in each method. What's the simplest way of doing this check once for multiple-or-all methods in the controller?

Answer 1

You can run code in every method of a Controller by running it in the __construct() method:
function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
if ( ! $this->session->userdata('logged_in'))
{
// Allow some methods?
$allowed = array(
'some_method_in_this_controller',
'other_method_in_this_controller',
);
if ( ! in_array($this->router->fetch_method(), $allowed)
{
redirect('login');
}
}
}
You can remove the "allowed" bits if you want to restrict access to the whole thing, but there are better ways to do this, like creating a base controller:
// Create file application/core/MY_Controller.php
class Auth_Controller extends CI_Controller {
function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
if ( ! $this->session->userdata('logged_in'))
{
redirect('login');
}
}
}
Then have your restricted controllers extend Auth_Controller instead of CI_Controller. Now your code will be run every time the controller is loaded.
More info on extending core classes: http://www.codeigniter.com/user_guide/general/core_classes.html#extending-core-class
Also of interest: http://php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.decon.php

Answer 2

For codeIgniter 3 I modified Wesley Murch's answer to this
// Create file application/core/MY_Controller.php
<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');
class MY_Controller extends CI_Controller {
function __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
$CI = & get_instance();
$CI->load->library('session');
$CI->load->helper('url');
if ( !$this->session->userdata('logged_in'))
{
redirect('login');
}
}
}
Then in any controller to check authorization I used
class News extends MY_Controller {
//code here
}
If you use modules and different sessions for website users and admin users, you can use this code to perfectly redirect them to different login pages-
function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$CI = & get_instance();
$CI->load->library('session');
$CI->load->helper('url');
// echo "<pre>";print_r($this->router);echo "</pre>";
/**
* if webmaster then check admin session else check user session
* But there may be some classes's method that doesn't requires login hence it is also need to check if
* current request is for those methods before checking session
*/
//to use $this->config->item('webmaster_name') this you have to define
// $config['webmaster_name'] = "webmaster"; in config.php file
if ($this->router->module == $this->config->item('webmaster_name')) {
if (!$this->session->userdata('admin')['id']) {
redirect($this->config->item('webmaster_name').'/login');
}
} else {
if (!$this->session->userdata('user')['id']) {
redirect('login');
}
}
}
If you also want users to allow to access some methods from any particular controller without being logged in you can use this code -
function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$CI = & get_instance();
$CI->load->library('session');
$CI->load->helper('url');
//echo "<pre>"; print_r($this->router);echo "</pre>"; //_pr($this->config->item('excluded_auth'));
/**
* if webmaster then check admin session else check user session
* But there may be some classes's method that doesn't requires login hence it is also need to check if
* current request is for those methods before checking session
*/
if ($this->router->module == $this->config->item('webmaster_name')) {
if (!$this->session->userdata('admin')['id']) {
redirect($this->config->item('webmaster_name') . '/login');
}
} else {
if (array_key_exists($this->router->class, $this->config->item('exclude_auth')) && in_array($this->router->method, $this->config->item('exclude_auth')[$this->router->class])) {
//echo "escape this method. don not validate for a session";
} else {
if (!$this->session->userdata('user')['id']) {
redirect('login');
}
}
}
}
Note: You can define a custom config file for defining your excluded methods like as-
//save file in application/config/without_auth_methods.php
<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');
$config['exclude_auth']['news'] = array('index', 'view');
$config['exclude_auth']['users'] = array('index');

Answer 3

I use this function:
Then just call $this->isAuthorized from your controllers __construct.
It allows me to control what controllers are accessed and what methods are accessed too.
protected function isAuthorized()
{
switch ( strtolower( $this->router->class ) )
{
case 'pages':
$disallowLoggedOut = array( 'dashboard' );
$disallowLoggedIn = array( 'index' );
break;
case 'users':
$disallowLoggedOut = array( 'logout' );
$disallowLoggedIn = array( 'register', 'login' );
break;
}
if ( $this->session->userdata( 'loggedIn' ) )
{
if ( in_array( $this->router->method, $disallowLoggedIn ) )
{
redirect( 'pages/dashboard' );
}
}
else
{
if ( in_array( $this->router->method, $disallowLoggedOut ) )
{
redirect( 'pages/index' );
}
}
}

Answer 4

Best way to deal such issue is to create a custom helper that should be called in every method of controller class e.g
Go to application/helpers and create a file login_helper.php
Paste the following code in the helper
<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('no direct access');
function isLogin($sessionType)
{
if(empty($_SESSION[$sessionType]))
redirect(base_url('loginURL'));
}
?>
Now load this helper into Controller's constructor.
application/controllers/Access.php
this way
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('access denied');
class Access Extends CI_Controller
{
funcrion __construct()
{
parent::__construct();
$this->load->helper('login');
}
function home()
{
isLogin();
$this->load->view('home_page);
}
}