Introduction to password_verify() function of PHP

PHP provides the password_verify() function to verify if a given password matches its hash. This function is used to securely store and manage user passwords on a website.

Syntax and Parameters

The syntax of the password_verify() function is:

bool password_verify ( string $password , string $hash )

The function takes two parameters:

• password: The plain-text password to be verified.
• hash: The hashed password to compare with the plain-text password.

How does it work?

When a user creates an account or updates their password, the password is hashed using a one-way hash function like bcrypt or Argon2. This hashed password is then stored in the database.

To verify a password, the password_verify() function takes the plain-text password entered by the user and the hashed password from the database. It then hashes the plain-text password and compares it with the hashed password. If they match, the password is correct.

The password_verify() function takes care of all the complex operations of password hashing and comparison, making it easy for developers to securely manage user passwords.

Example Usage

Here is an example of how to use the password_verify() function in PHP:

$password = 'myPassword123';
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Verify password
if (password_verify($password, $hashed_password)) {
    echo 'Password is valid!';
} else {
    echo 'Invalid password.';
}

This code generates a hashed password using the password_hash() function and then verifies the password using the password_verify() function.

Conclusion

With the password_verify() function, PHP provides a secure and easy way to manage user passwords on a website. It frees developers from the complexities of password hashing and comparison, allowing them to focus on building a user-friendly experience.