What are the best practices for handling user authentication and authorization in PHP applications?
User authentication and authorization are crucial aspects of web application security. To handle user authentication, it is recommended to use secure password hashing algorithms like bcrypt and store user credentials in a secure manner. For authorization, implement role-based access control to restrict access to certain parts of the application based on user roles.
// User Authentication
$password = 'user_password';
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
// Storing the hashed password in the database
// Example SQL query: INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('user', '$hashed_password');
// User Authorization
$user_role = 'admin';
// Check if user has admin role
if($user_role === 'admin'){
// Grant access to admin-only functionality
echo "You have access to admin functionality.";
} else {
// Deny access
echo "You do not have permission to access this functionality.";
}