Managing User Sessions and Access Control in PHP
In this lecture, we'll explore how PHP uses sessions to manage user data across web pages — an essential skill for building login systems and protecting private content. You'll learn how to start a session using session_start(), store and access user information with $_SESSION, and securely end a session with session_destroy().
We'll also cover how to control access to pages by checking session variables and redirecting users using header(). Finally, we'll walk through the logout process and explain why clearing session data is important for security.
By the end of this session, you'll understand how to:
Maintain user login status
Protect pages from unauthorized access
Redirect users based on session conditions
Properly log users out and clear their session data
Whether you're building your first login system or getting familiar with how web applications track users, this lecture will give you a solid foundation in PHP session management and access control.