Start or Resume a Session

Code

<?php

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2026 Jeffery L. Paris <jparis@phpog.com>.
 * Free for personal and internal use. Paid project use requires visible credit
 * to Jeffery L. Paris. Corporate use requires a paid license fee unless a
 * separate written license states otherwise.
 */

/**
 * Start or Resume a Session.
 *
 * Purpose:
 * Starts a session once, before output, with cookie settings suitable for a
 * normal HTTPS application.
 *
 * @param string $session_name Application session name.
 * @return array Session startup status and active session name.
 */
function ogSnippetStartOrResumeASession(string $session_name): array {
	$session_name = trim($session_name);

	if ($session_name === '') {
		$session_name = 'PHPSESSID';
	}

	if (session_status() === PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE) {
		return array(
			'ok' => true,
			'status' => 'already-active',
			'session_name' => session_name()
		);
	}

	if (headers_sent() === true) {
		return array(
			'ok' => false,
			'status' => 'headers-already-sent',
			'session_name' => ''
		);
	}

	$secure_cookie = false;

	if (isset($_SERVER['HTTPS']) === true && $_SERVER['HTTPS'] === 'on') {
		$secure_cookie = true;
	}

	session_name($session_name);
	session_set_cookie_params(array(
		'lifetime' => 0,
		'path' => '/',
		'domain' => '',
		'secure' => $secure_cookie,
		'httponly' => true,
		'samesite' => 'Lax'
	));

	$started = session_start();
	$status_message = 'failed';

	if ($started === true) {
		$status_message = 'started';
	}

	return array(
		'ok' => $started,
		'status' => $status_message,
		'session_name' => session_name()
	);
}

$session_report = ogSnippetStartOrResumeASession('phpog_command_deck');

if ($session_report['ok'] === true) {
	$_SESSION['bridge'] = 'Enterprise-D';
}