How View the Content of a Cookie File? - PHP Script Tips - Understanding and Managing Cookies

Cookie files are normal text files. You can view them with any text editor. Follow the steps below to see what is in a cookie file created by your own PHP script.

Copy the following sample script, setting_persistent_cookies.php, to your Web server:

<?php
  setcookie("LoginName","FYICenter");
  setcookie("PreferredColor","Blue");
  setcookie("CouponNumber","07470433",time()+60*60*24*7);
  setcookie("CouponValue","100.00",time()+60*60*24*7);
 
  print("<pre>\n");
  print("2 temporary cookies were delivered.\n");
  print("2 consistent cookies were delivered.\n");

  if (isset($_COOKIE["LoginName"])) {
    $loginName = $_COOKIE["LoginName"];
    print("Received a cookie named as LoginName: ".$loginName."\n");
  } else {
    print("Did not received any cookie named as LoginName.\n");
  }
 
  $count = count($_COOKIE);
  print("$count cookies received.\n");
  foreach ($_COOKIE as $name => $value) {
     print "  $name = $value\n";
  }
  print("</pre>\n");
?>

Open your IE browser to visit this page: http://localhost/setting_persistent_cookies.php. You will see:

2 temporary cookies were delivered.
2 consistent cookies were delivered.
Did not received any cookie named as LoginName.
0 cookies received.

Now go to \Documents and Settings\$user\Cookies directory and open the cookie file, $user@localhost.txt. You will see:

CouponNumber
07470433
localhost/
1024
3084847744
29787636
2404950512
29786228
*
CouponValue
100.00
localhost/
1024
3084847744
29787636
2405150512
29786228
*