Need tips about authentication check (cookies)

What is the most common and robust auth check pattern in CI?

I personally see two ways:

1) insert check routine into a hook-function ('pre_controller' or 'post_controller_constructor' ?) - one for all controllers - nice
2) write it in __construct() directly, but it forces to duplicate code a lot, for each controller. bad..

I tried 1st way but got this:

PHP Code:

$hook['pre_controller'] = function ()
{
    $id = $this->input->cookie('user_id'); // ERROR: Undefined property: CI_Hooks::$input
    // ...
}; 


It seems that $this->input is absent in function's scope. Maybe I should create standalone class? or entirely different approach?

Please nudge me in a right direction.

Create a MY_Controller and do your checks in it, then extend all your other controller's from your MY_Controller.

What did you Try? What did you Get? What did you Expect?

Joined CodeIgniter Community 2009.  ( Skype: insitfx )

Besides the fact that you want to check a user id from a cookie i think you are on the right path.
Try the following:

in your config/hooks.php

PHP Code:

$hook['pre_controller'][] = array(
    "class" => "AppCookieValidator",
    "function" => "initialize",
    "filename" => "AppCookieValidator.php",
    "filepath" => "hooks"
); 


and create a File named AppCookieValidator.php in the application/hooks/ directory and do something like this

PHP Code:

class AppCookieValidator
{

    private $ci;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->ci = &get_instance();
    }
    
    public function initialize()
    {
        $id = $this->ci->input->cookie('user_id'); 
    }
} 


Thank you, guys!

PHP Code:

$hook['pre_controller'][] = array(
 "class" => "AppCookieValidator",
 "function" => "initialize",
 "filename" => "AppCookieValidator.php",
 "filepath" => "hooks"
); 


Tried it. Should be $hook['post_controller_constructor'] otherwise get_instance() returns NULL.