What are some alternative methods to determine if a specific user is online in a PHP forum without using MySQL?

One alternative method to determine if a specific user is online in a PHP forum without using MySQL is to use session variables. By setting a session variable when a user logs in and checking for its existence, we can infer if the user is currently online. This method is simple and efficient for small-scale applications. 

// Start the session
session_start();

// Set a session variable when the user logs in
$_SESSION['user_online'] = true;

// Check if the session variable exists to determine if the user is online
if(isset($_SESSION['user_online'])) {
    echo "User is online";
} else {
    echo "User is offline";
}

Keywords

PHP forum online status alternative methods user detection

Related Questions