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Learn how to prevent session timeout resets during Ajax requests in CodeIgniter and maintain secure session management.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63593402/ asked by the user 'Vombat' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/899494/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63598895/ provided by the user 'Javier Larroulet' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/10261189/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Handling Ajax Requests Without Extending Session Timeouts in CodeIgniter

Managing session timeouts can be quite a tricky task, especially when dealing with Ajax requests within a framework like CodeIgniter. If you're finding that your users remain logged in indefinitely, even when they are inactive, it may be time to explore some adjustments to ensure that session timeouts are respected while still allowing for necessary Ajax functionality.

The Problem: Unwanted Session Extensions

When a user is logged in and you have frequent Ajax requests triggered from the user’s dashboard, these calls can inadvertently keep the user's session alive beyond the intended expiration time. If your application has a session expiration set – for instance, 10 minutes – but the user makes an Ajax call every few seconds to check for updates, their session won't expire. This can potentially allow users to stay logged in indefinitely, even when they're not actively using your application.

The Solution: Modify Ajax Session Handling

To prevent unwanted session lengthens while still utilizing Ajax calls, you can modify the way sessions are handled specifically for those requests. Here are the strategies you can adopt:

1. Create an Ajax-Specific Controller

To start, consider creating a separate controller specifically for handling Ajax requests. This controller can be designed so that it does not require a user session. Here’s how:

Identify Your Rarely Used Controllers: Recognize which controllers do not require session tracking and can be set to handle Ajax requests without affecting session management.

Modify Autoload Config:

In your application/config/autoload.php, you can specify which libraries to load based on the controller being accessed.

Example code snippet:

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2. Adjust The Session Library Itself

If your Ajax calls still require session data, consider making a minor edit to the CodeIgniter session library.

Locate Session Class:
The session driver for CodeIgniter 3.1.11 can be found in system/libraries/Session/Session.php. You can alter how session expiration is handled within this file.

Modify Constructor Logic:
You'll want to change the part of the constructor that determines when to refresh the session validity. Specifically, update it to check if the current request is coming from an Ajax controller:

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3. Testing Your Changes

Before deploying any changes, it’s crucial to thoroughly test the new functionality:

Run Tests: Ensure that the adjustments do not negatively impact other parts of your application.

Monitor for Issues: Keep an eye on the session data and timing to ascertain that inactivity leads to expected session timeouts.

Conclusion

By strategically modifying how sessions are handled during Ajax requests in CodeIgniter, you can achieve a balance where users are logged out after inactivity while still enjoying the functionality of live data updates. Ensure you thoroughly test and validate your changes, and communicate any potential impacts to your team or users.

Implement these tactics, and you will have a more robust and user-friendly session management system.