smarty php

I used to use

{php}
if ($au=$_SESSION['_amember_user']){ // user is logged-in

echo "<div> Welcome $au[name_f] $au[name_l]</div>";

} else { // user is not logged-in

echo "<div>Please Login</div>";

}
{/php}

I switch to 3.2.3 and every time I add the $au[name_f] $au[name_l] or $au=$_SESSION['_amember_user']

I get a blank white page

any ideas?

I dont know how I fixed it but I did. Must have missed something somewhere.

Ok I figured out what I was doing wrong

I forgot to include

Code:

session_start(); 

so it should look like this:

Code:

{php}
session_start(); 
if ($au=$_SESSION['_amember_user']){ // user is logged-in

echo '<div> Welcome $au[name_f] $au[name_l]</div>';

} else { // user is not logged-in

echo '<div>Please Login</div>';

} 
{/php}