Create a Global Session for all users

Question

I am using php 5.4

Session variables $_SESSION['name'] are used to store data so that the data can be access in any future request but is unique to a user only

Is it possible to create something similar to a session variable which is accessible to all request coming in but no matter which user it is? In other words a session variable which is not unique to users

Currently I am using a MySQL db to store temporary data but I think if this Global Session for all users is possible, it will give some performance improvement

i want to store something very small like a 4 digit number

Answer 1

By default session data is serialized and saved to a temporary file associated with the user's session, which is tracked by a cookie. You can configure session data to be saved in the database as well. This data is available via the $_SESSION superglobal per user.

So if you follow that logic, then either store serialized data in a file or store it in the database and to access it, it won't be a superglobal, but something almost a superglobal if you read it in as a global array such as $GLOBALS['all_peeps'].

You can do the same with an object or static class. It's really the same as config variables that you would use for your application regardless of the user.

Answer 2

According to wikipedia:

Session is a semi-permanent interactive information interchange (...) between a computer and user.

Well, you probably missunderstand session meaning. Session shouldn't be global.

Anyway if you want some mechanism of sharing information between users, you should use database or files (standard php session is stored in files [one for each instance]).