Sending Multiple Cookies with file_get_contents

The PHP manual provides an example demonstrating how to send a cookie using stream contexts. However, it does not address the scenario of sending multiple cookies.

Multiple Cookie Options

There are several options for sending multiple cookies:

• Option 1:

"Cookie: user=3345&pass=abcd\r\n"

This option combines the cookies into a single string, separated by an ampersand (&). However, it may not be compatible with all servers.

• Option 2:

"Cookie: user=3345\r\n" . 
"Cookie: pass=abcd\r\n"

This option sends the cookies as separate lines with individual Cookie headers. It provides better compatibility but may look messy.

Optimal Solution

The preferred option for sending multiple cookies is:

• Option 3:

Cookie: user=3345; pass=abcd

This syntax uses semicolons (;) to separate the cookie pairs. It is widely supported and follows the HTTP cookie specification.

Implementation

To send multiple cookies using file_get_contents:

$cookies = array('user' => '3345', 'pass' => 'abcd');
$cookieString = '';
foreach ($cookies as $name => $value) {
    $cookieString .= "$name=$value;";
}

$opts = array(
  'http' => array(
    'method' => 'GET',
    'header' => "Accept-language: en\r\n" .
              "Cookie: $cookieString\r\n"
  )
);

$context = stream_context_create($opts);
$file = file_get_contents('http://www.example.com/', false, $context);