How to Efficiently Track User Online Status in PHP and MySQL?

Determining User Online Status in PHP and MySQL

Utilizing session-tracking, this article aims to establish an effective method for determining a user's online presence.

Piggybacking on Sessions

While piggybacking on PHP sessions provides a convenient solution, it relies on timestamps and timeouts. To avoid these limitations, we explore an alternative approach centered on tracking user activity.

Database-Based Tracking

Within your database's "Users" table, create a "lastActiveTime" field that captures the time of a user's last interaction. By continuously updating this field, you can determine a user's online status by querying for those with a "lastActiveTime" within a specified time frame, such as the past five minutes.

Avoiding Time Zones

To simplify the process, use your server's time (via MySQL's NOW() function) rather than attempting to account for time zones. This approach provides a reliable method for tracking active users in real-time.

Constant Updates

If tracking continuous activity is essential, you can implement a JavaScript script that sends a "ping" to your server every minute. This will update user activity records without requiring constant page browsing.

Updated Code Snippet

The following updated code snippet utilizes fetch and promises to handle the "ping" requests:

<code class="javascript">(async function ping() {
    // Asynchronously call stillAlive.php
    await fetch("stillAlive.php");
    // Issue this call again in 60 seconds
    setTimeout(ping, 60_000);
}());</code>

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