What are some common pitfalls to avoid when implementing online status indicators using PHP?
One common pitfall to avoid when implementing online status indicators using PHP is not properly updating the status indicator when a user logs in or logs out. To solve this issue, make sure to update the user's online status in the database whenever they log in or log out.
// Update user's online status when logging in
$user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
$sql = "UPDATE users SET online_status = 1 WHERE id = $user_id";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);
// Update user's online status when logging out
$user_id = $_SESSION['user_id'];
$sql = "UPDATE users SET online_status = 0 WHERE id = $user_id";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $sql);