What are some common methods for user recognition in PHP, especially in a Windows environment?

One common method for user recognition in PHP, especially in a Windows environment, is to use session variables to store user information after they have logged in. This allows you to track the user throughout their session on your website. Another method is to use cookies to store user information, which can be accessed across different pages on the website. Additionally, you can use database queries to retrieve user information based on their login credentials.

// Start the session
session_start();

// Check if the user is logged in
if(isset($_SESSION['user_id'])){
    // User is logged in, retrieve user information
    $user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
    
    // Query the database to get user details
    // $query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = $user_id";
    // Execute the query and fetch user details
    // $user_details = mysqli_fetch_assoc($query_result);
    
    // Display user information
    // echo "Welcome back, " . $user_details['username'];
} else {
    // User is not logged in, redirect to login page
    // header("Location: login.php");
    // exit();
}