Session Variables

[envisionsolutions]

I need to filter users based on multiple criteria.

The first of which is Task Type which is basically the equivalent of Department. I am using the external user identifier field to assign the TaskType to each user (ie. Sales) and then in the grid I add an argument using the TaskType session variable I created = BuyerTasks.TaskType to return the pertinent records. So if a Sales Agent logs in they are only seeing Sales Tasks. I think I am limiting myself.

I need to filter based on other criteria and would like the option to isolate data to a single user versus a group. So my question is If I create a local users table and use the external user identifier to assign a unique idea can I use other columns that I create in that local user table such as Groups and so on in a session variable to filter other criteria?

I need to filter by Project and there are several projects and there are users who need access to multiple projects. When a user logs in to the TabbedUI that I created, they have a dynamic drop down list that pulls from the database that gives them a list of Projects. I want to filter that list based on the user as well. Can someone spell it out for me how I can accomplish this? I am a newb. Please let me know if I need to provide screenshots or better explanations.

[Steve Wood]

Re: Session Variables

You got it in the second paragraph. Make your external user identifier generic, just to link them to a local Users table. Then in your Users table include values for their TaskType and whatever else. Then when they log in, grab those values based on their external user identifier. Put them in protected session vars and you have them for filtering.

[envisionsolutions]

Re: Session Variables

Steve,

Thanks for responding.

How do I

"Put them in protected session vars and you have them for filtering."

Do this?

[NoeticCC]

Re: Session Variables

What I do is I redirect all logged in users to a page called login_proc.a5w, where I check the user groups and permissions and populate session variables accordingly. At the end of the .a5w page I redirect to index.a5w, with all session vars ready to go.

[Steve Wood]

Re: Session Variables

Andrea - although your redirect method is 99% save, it is a mistake in my book to redirect anyone on login. If they bookmark a given secure page, they are directed to the login page. Then after login they will go to the bookmarked page SKIPPING your desired redirect page. There is a new option in security to disable this normal behaviour, but then your web app behaves differently than almost all web apps out there.

If you do have a external user identifier ("ulink" for short) linking your user table (mine is named web_users) then everytime someone logs in, their ulink value will be in the session variable you named as your external user identifier. Most people name this session.__protected__ulink. So if that's the case, you can have xbasic in your app that populates vars from the user table based on the ulink, like this:

session.__protected__tasktype = lookupc("F",session.__protected__ulink,"tasktype","[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\web_users","id")

where ID is the index for the ulink field.

I place that type of code on every single page using a header file and a5w_include(). Others will include a safety check, some method to determine if it is necessary to re-populate the session variable.

now you have your tasktype for the logged in user handy. Search for argument, filter, etc to learn about how to use an argument in the grid to filter records.

[NoeticCC]

Re: Session Variables

Andrea - although your redirect method is 99% save, it is a mistake in my book to redirect anyone on login. If they bookmark a given secure page, they are directed to the login page. Then after login they will go to the bookmarked page SKIPPING your desired redirect page. There is a new option in security to disable this normal behaviour, but then your web app behaves differently than almost all web apps out there.

I should have mentioned my app is Tabbed UI based, so there is only the one page... and I am making use of the "ignore redirect after login".

[NoeticCC]

Re: Session Variables

There is also the option (does not work on my laptop but was told it does work @ Alpha) to use a session variable as the source link for a lookup type action in the action javascript definitions in grids. This basically means you can use your external identifier to pull data from a table to fill into fields on the grid etc.