Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

[au232]

I've got a quite standard Web project where the data flow is like this:

1. A user logs using a login screen (we read his session var userID there)
2. He browses some info
3. Then he enters some data from a dialog-grid, etc

My problem is the following: on the dialog on step 3, we need him to enter/recover his ID info. So what I'd like is the user ID field to automatically feed the real identity of the user, and not his userID (available from the session var). I've got in the DB a table that matches every userID to his real ID, kind of:

userID | RealID
john123 GATX123

Since this field will always be unique (the user is already identified !!), this field should:

• Be hidden (we don't want the user to enter/update/mess around here)
• Read and populate the field through a lookup (or code or somehow) with his real ID.

The real ID is what the dialog will send AfterValidation. Any ideas on this?

Thanks in advance,

[chadbrown]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

When the user first logs into the system have it directed to a page that will go and retrieve the needed information and store it as session variables.
Once the variables are set continue onto the normal page that you want them to goto. Now you can use those variables anywhere you want.
Example below

dim GSVSelect as c
dim gsv as SQL::connection
dim grs as SQL::ResultSet
gsv.open("::name::mysql")

GSVSelect="SELECT em_id, em_name, store, badge_name, em_position FROM employees WHERE em_id ="+session.userid
gsv.Execute(GSVSelect)
grs=gsv.ResultSet
session.fullname=grs.data("em_name")
session.storename=grs.data("store")
session.badgename=grs.data("badge_name")
session.position=grs.data("em_position")

gsv.close()

[au232]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

Thanks Chad, I kind of get the idea, but I'm a total newbie. I don't even know whether your code is XBasic or what. Any advice on how to get more into it would be appreciated.

1. So can I ask: Why can't that code be in the login page itself, right after reading the userID?

2. My issue is also with 'sending' the info from a dialog. Let's say your dialog has this:

FullName (char) | Age (num) + Submit button
[ ] [ ]


How do you tell the text field FullName to enter the session.var that you've previously read with your code ? I immagine it's on Properties-Default value, and then:

=session.fullname()

being fullname the session var recovered from the code you've suggested. Is this right? (the A5 documentation doesn't seems great).

Thanks again.

alphaQ.PNG

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

1. So can I ask: Why can't that code be in the login page itself, right after reading the userID?

Basically the code would execute when the page first loads - before the user has entered his or her name & password.

I immagine it's on Properties-Default value, and then:

=session.fullname()

Correct

(the A5 documentation doesn't seems great).

Correct

[au232]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

I've entered Chad's code on the next page of the project (still not the page where the info is to be used). Unfortunately, it throws and error while being executed:

Script Error
Error:Script:" /gaphase2/charts.a5w" line:71            **this is my page*****
grs=gsv.ResultSet
Function sequence error. while getting latest result set.'
gsv.ResultSet subelement not found.

Quick question: can Chad's code (XBasic, or Ajax?) be embedded anywhere after the <a5% tag mark, or does it have to be place at some specific place? It doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm wondering whether there has to be an specific separate page that holds the code, or it can be embedded anywhere once the session var has been read.

Thanks.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

Typically you would put the xbasic in the head section, but it works in the body section as well.

Did you replace the name of your connection string where he has the word mysql?

[au232]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

Thank you. Yes, I've replaced the mySQL reference connection.

It's not that, but if I add the code to my page it throws an error. It simply says IE8 cannot display the page. If I delete the whole thing it works. I don't know how to debug in XBasic.

One question:

Why did Chad Brown propose to add the session vars in page 2, like this:

1) LOGIN -> 2) SESSION VARS READ from database, redirect to 3 -> 3) MY PROJECT

instead of just this:

1) LOGIN -> 2) SESSION VARS READ from database + MY PROJECT

In other words, is it an error to add the session vars anywhere, do they need a 'special' type of page like a login page, or a page that does nothing but obtain the content of the session vars?

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Using session var 'userID' to read another value on the DB

You can add session vars on any page I guess. Some of us use a separate page either to keep things cleaner or to make a redirect depending upon who logs in.