Strange PHP problem

[Aleister]

I recently implemented some nice php scripts for contact forms, guestbooks, and a couple of other things on a few of my sites.

I have been using Xenu link checker to generate reports, and site-maps. The problem is that once Xenu hits the first file thats using php, it follows the other links, adding PHPSESS to them. Obviously this is because it generated a session id when the script ran, and while it traverses the other links, it is just carrying them across.

I have a modified .htaccess file that lets php code be processed in .htm or .html files. If I did not have this, and had any file with php code in it just called .php, it wouldnt be passing the ids to the other pages.

So now when I make a report or site map, I get many duplicate entiries because I will have somepage.htm, and then also somepage.htm?SESS=whatever whatever2 etc..

So my question comes down to this. Since all my files can process PHP anyway, is there a command I can put in the start of any file (that does not need to use php), to have it prevent arguments from being passed?

Did I over complicate my explanation? :) Thanks for any info!

[jamie]

aleister,

the problem with xenu might also affect search engine spiders. you need to detect the user-agent and not append sessionIDs if a certain one is detected, e.g. xenu or google. (some popular forum softwares do this)

i've never done this but it should be enough that you have a look in your logs to see how xenu identifies himself, then write a conditional statement to detect the
$_SERVER["HTTP_USER_AGENT"] and NOT start sessions for particular ones.

hth

[Aleister]

Wouldn't I need to do this for every single robot in existence to be safe?

It seems like there would have to be some other way. So many sites use php for just part of their site.

I run a php based forum, but I am using mod_rewrite. It seems like that would be too much trouble to include it just for some simple guestbooks and comment forms though.

[mincklerstraat]

Use phpinfo() to see if your php version is 4.3 or higher. If so,
ini_set('session.use_only_cookies', 1);
at the beginning of all your scripts before they get into the sessions stuff. Will only use cookies for sessions, otherwise won't start sessions iiac.

[Aleister]

Wow, this will be great if it works for me. I can just put it in the scripts. I will let you know how it works later today!