Identify computer / user

[Mike Konoff]

Hi all,

I'd like to place a text file on each computer in our network and place a particular alpha-numeric string in the file. For example, the file name on each computer would be something like: user.txt. The data in the text file would look something like the following: 005MK, another would be 146RM. The alpha numeric contents of the file on my PC would identify me and my PC, and the contents of the user file on the other PC's would identify that unique user/pc. I would then like to read the contents of that file and store that information in each new record in a particular table.

I have NO clue whatsoever. Can anybody offer suggestions?

Thank you,
Mike

[Joseph Mar]

RE: Identify computer / user

You could create another database with this information and then, have a field rule lookup to retrive the information.

[dpawley]

I perform something similar which automatically records the user/computer entering receipt records.

I use the vsave/vrestore commands to save/retrieve a script variable in a file on the work station hard drive.

I have a menubar script so that the user can reset their initials which is saved to a local file. You may elect not to let the user have this option and then manually create the file somewhere on each user's work station. You could create a script to assist you that you can manually run from the script menu, something like this:

{PROMPT�"Enter�your�2�digit�Initials",%WHO,2}{* prompts for script variable *}
{SET�%WHO,UPPER(%WHO)}{*changes to upper case *}
{VSAVE�"%WHO","c:\Who"}{* saves the script variable %WHO to c:\who.var file the text in the file looks like WHO=xx where xx equals initials*}

Now that the user information is stored, you can read in back in by setting a trigger script on one of the fields in the field rules of the database.

{VRESTORE�"c:\who"}{*reads the c:\who.var file back into the script variable %WHO*}

Then set the default value expression or calculated field expression equal to the script variable %WHO.

Hope that helps

[cahalsall]

Identify computer / user

Hi guys,

Environmental variables on NT/2000/XP contain lots of information about individual machines. I use batch files to start applications. An example of one may look like this:

@echo off
set > machine.var
a4rt C:\Database\payroll\LOG -d#C:\ Database\payroll\scripts -s#startup -a#C:\ Database\payroll\payapp

The first line in my startup script might read a line like this:

{VRESTORE %SYS_PRIVATE_PATH+"\MACHINE.VAR"}

There could be a drawback to this. Vrestore restores a lot of variables to memory that you may never use.

I also use login prompts that allow limited amount of tries. Information gathered from these login prompts can be authenticated againt an encrypted var file or a database file.

Another tip: if you run a batch file from inside Alpha4 with the set > file.var command, all file and directory paths with contain their short name versions.

Not sure if this will be of any help but it sure works for me.

Charles

[dpawley]

Charles,
I never thought of dumping the output of the set command completely. WOW...hmmmm

To get just the username, (or you could do it for any variable by changing the variable name in quotes), use this statement.

set|find "USERNAME=">USERNAME.VAR

Make sure the variable name is exact including case, as the find command is case sensitive unless you use the /I switch.

[jeffcaton]

I use a logon screen and have a table with the users and passwords. If the user is validated it then saves the user name, and time they logged in and what computer they are on... I just set a VAR. and have a name field if(name =" ",var->name,name) this way it won't be over written if the file is opened for editing.

[Edward Larrabee]

You might find System Functions useful.

[csda1]

Ed,

You might find System Functions useful.

That would be very useful if they were running Alpha 5, but this is ALPHA FOUR!

The redirection of the SET commands into a file that can be read and written by A4 or is the correct way, and was published in Alpha Forum Magazine probably as long ago as 1993, and is probably buried in the forum here from long ago.

You can get just one variable by displaying the value in the format varname=value and redirection into a file. I don't recall the exact format but I bet it was something like

ECHO varname=%varname% >filename.var

placed inside a Batch file that A4 can run

[cahalsall]

Identify computer / user

Hi David and Ira,

Thanks a lot for the information provided. I know that there is a lot more to this kind of stuff. I remember seen tips like these in computer magazines way back in the early nineties. I have not seen one of those magazines for a long time.

So long for now,

Charles