Joomla在会话上存储数据

Question

I'm modifying a joomla component (jQuarks) in order to achieve the wanted behaviour from the module in order to do online quiz/exams. Basically, I want to be able to use the session variable to store the following items:

• UserId
• QuizSessionID (not the Joomla Session per se, since this is a jQarks "session")
• The quiz start time
• Last question answered page (or id, doesn't really matter, but since I'm using pages it's the best option)
• All the previously answered questions (ie, the question ID and the Answer ID)

In order to achieve this I'm using JFactory::getSession() but I'm having some doubts.

The first one is: Is the session variable the best way to store this data? If not, how or where can I store this info? Whenever the user clicks to navigate to the next page, I want to store the answer given and add it to the previously given answers. Won't this make me have to constantly destroy and recreate the session? If, by any chance a user needs to refresh the page, the current component behavior is to create a new quizSession thus reseting everything and storing nothing. Will the Joomla Session variable be enough to force the behavior I intend? (resuming the quizSession that te user started)

If this is the wrong approach what should I use? I'm not really versed developing for Joomla and haven't touched PHP in at least 3 years...

Best Regards

Answer 1

I advice you not to use JSession, but try User state. It is widely used in Joomla for storing pagiantion, filters vars across pages. You can find info about it here .

The only concern I have is a page refresh. The state will not be reset on refresh and I doubt that it is possible to do with Joomla API...

And one more thing - you do not need to store UserId in the session, because you can anytime retrieve it using this simple piece of code:

$userId = JFactory::getUser()->id;

More info here .

Answer 2

SESSION is using for temporary data. You can use it to store data if you are not afraid to lose it.

If you what to associate some data permanent use #__user_profiles table , like key value storage.

If you want have some analytic of it you must use your you DB structure.