So I'm starting up in Zend framework and looking to implement a site-wide "User" session.... something I can easily access from ALL modules/controllers in the application.

I'm like, should I make a new namespace in the library and extend the controller, like:

MyLib_Controller_Action extends Zend_Controller_Action
{
    protected $_userSession;

    function preDispatch(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $req)
    {
         $this->_userSession = new Zend_Session_Namespace('user');
    }
}

ANd then have all my controllers/modules/etc extend from that?

Or should I create a Plugin or what? How would you go about making this plugin to pass the user session to the controller?

Or do I do it in the bootstrap?? Again how to pass to controller?

Also should I use Zend_Session_Namespace or Zend_Http_Cookie and also how do I encrypt and xss clean the cookie or is that did automagically?