Here you will learn how to develop PHP login form using MySQL database. Have you ever wondered? what happens when you submit your credentials to any login form. You will understand the login application how it actually works in real time here. This PHP login application uses MySQL database to store user information and all the input parameters are validated with javascript. Comments have been added for easy understanding, especially to help newbies. You are always welcome with your doubts. If you are looking for the registration example, follow this link. The Complete Login and Registration Application using PHP can be found here.
This PHP login form using MySQL database connections contains PHP 7.0 methods only. Many methods like mysql_real_escape_string(), mysql_query(), mysql_num_rows(), mysql_connect(), mysql_select_db(), mysql_close() were deprecated in PHP 5 and removed from the latest version of PHP i.e. PHP 7.0. It uses prepared statements and
It uses prepared statements while querying in the database. Since the database contains the encrypted password we have decrypted the password using the method password_verify() while comparing it with the user password.
To execute PHP programs you would need a localhost server that supports PHP like wamp server or xampp server or any other. Most of them are available freely on the internet. You can click on the respective link and download them.
This is how the Login page looks on the browser (except PHP logo)
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LoginForm.php
<html>
<head>
<title>LoginForm.php</title>
<!-- Using external stylesheet to make the registration form look attractive -->
<link rel = "stylesheet" type = "text/css" href="Style.css"/>
<!-- Javascript validation for user inputs -->
<script type="text/javascript">
function validate()
{
var username = document.login.username.value;
var password = document.login.password.value;
if (username==null || username=="")
{
alert("Username can't be blank");
return false;
}
else if (password==null || password=="")
{
alert("password can't be blank");
return false;
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Make a note that the method type used is post, action page is Login.php and validate() function will get called on submit -->
<div style="text-align:center"><h1>PHP Login Form using MySQL</h1></div>
<br>
<form name="login" method="post" action="Login.php" onsubmit="return validate();" >
<div>Username: <input type="text" name="username" /> </div>
<div>Password: <input type="password" name="password" /> </div>
<div><input type="submit" value="Login"></input> <input type="reset" value="Reset"></input></div>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Style.css
/* Sample CSS - Modify it as per your taste */
input[type=text], input[type=password] {
background-color: #EEEEEE;
border: none;
color: black;
width:auto;
padding: 8px 52px;
text-decoration: none;
margin: 4px 2px;
cursor: pointer;
}
input[type=button], input[type=submit], input[type=reset] {
background-color: #4CAF50;
border: none;
color: white;
padding: 16px 32px;
text-decoration: none;
margin: 4px 2px;
cursor: pointer;
}
body{
text-align:right;
margin: 50px 400px;
}
Once you click on the submit button of the LoginForm.php the request is forwarded to the URL given in the action=”” attribute of the form. In this case, it is forwarded to the Login.php
Login.php
<html>
<body>
<?php
include_once("DBConnection.php");
session_start(); //always start a session in the beginning
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST')
{
if (empty($_POST['username']) || empty($_POST['password'])) //Validating inputs using PHP code
{
echo
"Incorrect username or password"; //
header("location: LoginForm.php");//You will be sent to Login.php for re-login
}
$inUsername = $_POST["username"]; // as the method type in the form is "post" we are using $_POST otherwise it would be $_GET[]
$inPassword = $_POST["password"];
$stmt= $db->prepare("SELECT USERNAME, PASSWORD FROM PROFILE WHERE USERNAME = ?"); //Fetching all the records with input credentials
$stmt->bind_param("s", $inUsername); //bind_param() - Binds variables to a prepared statement as parameters. "s" indicates the type of the parameter.
$stmt->execute();
$stmt->bind_result($UsernameDB, $PasswordDB); // Binding i.e. mapping database results to new variables
//Compare if the database has username and password entered by the user. Password has to be decrypted while comparing.
if ($stmt->fetch() && password_verify($inPassword, $PasswordDB))
{
$_SESSION['username']=$inUsername; //Storing the username value in session variable so that it can be retrieved on other pages
header("location: UserProfile.php"); // user will be taken to profile page
}
else
{
echo "Incorrect username or password";
?>
<a href="LoginForm.php">Login</a>
<?php
}
}
?>
</body>
</html>
DBConnection.php
This code is used to establish a connection with the MySQL database server.
As a best practice maintain database connections in a separate file so that any changes to the database server can be done quickly.
<?php
define('DB_SERVER', 'localhost:3306'); //database server url and port
define('DB_USERNAME', 'root'); //database server username
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'root123'); //database server password
define('DB_DATABASE', 'profile'); //where profile is the database
$db = mysqli_connect(DB_SERVER,DB_USERNAME,DB_PASSWORD,DB_DATABASE);
?>
UserProfile.php
<html>
<title>userProfile.php</title>
<body>
<?php
session_start();
$username = $_SESSION['username']; //retrieve the session variable
?>
<div style="text-align:center"><h1>User Profile</h1></div>
<br/>
<div style="font-weight:bold"> Welcome <?php echo $username ?> </div>
<div style="text-align: right"><a href="Logout.php">Logout</a></div> <!-- calling Logout.php to destroy the session -->
<?php
if(!isset($_SESSION['username'])) //If user is not logged in then he cannot access the profile page
{
//echo 'You are not logged in. <a href="login.php">Click here</a> to log in.';
header("location:LoginForm.php");
}
?>
</body>
</html>
Logout.php
<?php
session_start();
$username = $_SESSION['username']; //retrieve the session variable
unset($_SESSION['username']); //to remove session variable
session_destroy(); //destroy the session
header("location: LoginForm.php"); //to redirect back to "Login.php" after logging out
exit();
if(!isset($_SESSION['username'])) //If user is not logged in then he cannot access the profile page
{
//echo 'You are not logged in. <a href="login.php">Click here</a> to log in.';
header("location:LoginForm.php");
}
?>
Hello Sir
I am getting error as Warning: mysqli_connect(): (HY000/1045): Access denied for user ‘root’@’localhost’ (using password: YES) in C:\xampp\htdocs\essenet\dbconnection.php on line 7 while trying to login using registered credential in mysql, please suggest
Hi Sanjay,
Did you try to connect to the MySQL server using workbench or console?
working with xampp environment, when the sign in form is click to sign in it shows my php code(” . $passwordError . “”; ?> ” . $noValid . “”; ?>) on below the enter password. And when i click on sign up it also show my php code on email box() and name box it shows (). kindly help. Thanks
Abiodun,
Do you have access to the Database server? Could you please login and check whether the registered user details are present in the database?
I hope you have configured the correct database user details in the connection file.
Heyy!!!
How to get the username, port of the mysql server.
Hi
By default, it will be root or no username in some cases. You need to set the username manually in such cases.
For MySQL the default port is 3306. During installation, you get an option to update it even.
You can check all the configuration details in conf file.
Notice: Undefined variable: db in C:\xampp\htdocs\OPTRA\login.php on line 18
Fatal error: Call to a member function prepare() on null in C:\xampp\htdocs\OPTRA\login.php on line 18
Hi,
Please check what name field are you using for “username” in LoginForm.php.
Username:
Hi Ravi, I can’t read your full comments since it’s always loading. Could you send this comment to my email? I met the same issue.
Hi Zeyu,
Are you seeing this error?
Notice: Undefined variable: db in C:\xampp\htdocs\OPTRA\login.php on line 18
Fatal error: Call to a member function prepare() on null in C:\xampp\htdocs\OPTRA\login.php on line 18
It is something to do with the database query. You should verify whether the table is created and column names are correctly used in the query.
Yes I created a table ‘PROFILE’ and insterted USERNAME as ‘wycliff’ and PASSWORD as ‘1234’ and I am runing it in a xampp environment. It still gives me the errors
In order to login to a system, you need to register the user first.
Use the below links to do the user registration.
https://krazytech.com/programs/php-mysql-registration-form
https://krazytech.com/programs/complete-login-and-registration-application-using-php-and-mysql – Combined registration and login application.
Also, the default MySQL setup of xampp has a username as ‘root’ and the password would be null. Either set the password for MySQL user or remove the password configuration in the DBConnection.php file.
I am getting this error when I try to log in.
Warning: mysqli_connect(): (HY000/1045): Access denied for user ‘root’@’localhost’ (using password: YES) in C:\xampp\htdocs\DBConnection.php on line 11
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to a member function prepare() on boolean in C:\xampp\htdocs\Login.php:18 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in C:\xampp\htdocs\Login.php on line 18
kindly help
This is because of your MySQL credentials mismatch.
Please set the username and password details in DBConnection.php as per your local MySQL setup.
What do you mean by local Mysql setup
What database server software are you using to store user records?
Did you create table?
Hi I met the same error, I’m using xampp software. Here is my DBConnection.php:
Hi,
Your piece of code is not loaded here. You can email the error to me at contact@krazytech.com
Thanks for confirming over the email that you were able to resolve it.
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to a member function bind_param() on bool in C:\xampp\htdocs\essenet\login.php:18 Stack trace: #0 {main}thrown in C:\xampp\htdocs\essenet\login.php on line 18