Web Security Functions

[JohnMcc]

Hi,

I know these are not in the official Help File, but does anyone have a list of avaliable functions or a link to help files concerning the Web Security?

I'm trying to find a function to change a users password. Spent an hour trying A5_CHANGE_USER_PASSWORD() And yes I now know thats for desktop systems... :o

Another question: Whats the maximum field length's for web security fields. I've counted the External User ID from the web security->edit user at 40 chars , can this be changed?

John

[Steve Wood]

Re: Web Security Functions

All of the security functions are in the standard help file (except one, a5ws_login_user()). They all begin with "a5ws_". There is a very good tutorial on how to change user values, read up on the function a5ws_save_user_values() and related tutorials. If you type "a5ws_" in to an interactive window, you will also see contextual help.

Your External User ID should not be over 40 in length; what special circumstance do you have where you want it to be longer?

[JohnMcc]

Re: Web Security Functions

Hi Steve,

i'll check out those details, although I could find no instances of these on the online help files.

In this case, I'm using an email address as External User ID, which in one instance is longer than 40chars.

Thanks for the help

john

[Steve Wood]

Re: Web Security Functions

(Advice) Don't use the email address or any other significant value as the External ID. Use a simple sequential number at least. If you make it the email address, you will constantly have to manage it if their email changes. The purpose of the External ID is to have some abstract value to link your user records to the security record.

I know that there is nothing in the Help on how to automatically create a sequential value for your External ID, but you can search this forum for some examples.

Proper use of the External ID also provides an always-available session variable that identifies your logged in user. So if Jim is logged in and their External ID is 1000, that "1000" will be always be sitting in a session variable. You can structure your application such that when Jim saves a record, that 1000 is saved along with the record. Now when Jim logs back in, that 1000 will automatically be placed in a session variable and you can use it as a filter to ensure that Jim only sees information that he originally saved. (Whew, long sentence.. etc, lots of other scenarios exist).

[JohnMcc]

Re: Web Security Functions

Hi Steve,

Yes I'm doing exactly as you described, but only using an email.

And yes, I'm finding out the hard way, when the client (and they always do) wants to change their email, it screws up my session variable which I'm using to find records linked to that user. :)

john

[MikeC]

Re: Web Security Functions

Hi John,
I use the online help --used the index search and typed in security and found:
http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...y_Settings.htm

Type in a5ws and many functions for the web come up including:

http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...r_Values().htm

One of the hardest things in learning Alpha I find is being able to find what you want in the help or messageboard files/posts....once that is figured out it really expedites the learning process quite a bit.

[JohnMcc]

Re: Web Security Functions

Thanks all for the advice and help :)

John

[EricN]

Re: Web Security Functions

Might be close but not saving changes to security so far.

Validate
dim request.variables.guid as c
dim request.variables.email as c
request.variables.guid = alltrim(lookupc("F",alltrim(session.__protected__userid),"alltrim(Guid)","[pathalias.adb_path]\users","userid"))
request.variables.email = CurrentForm.Controls.Email.value
'request.variables.email = "[email protected]"

dim output as p
dim output.controls as p
dim output.controls.guid.value as c
dim output.controls.email.value as c

dim result as p
dim error_message as c
dim group_list as c
result = a5ws_Save_User_Values(output,request)
if result.errors = .T. then
error_message = result.error_text
end
end if
user_guid = output.controls.guid.value

I have Guid, Userid and Email as controls. I initialize all of them. And can see the correct values in the a5w page.

Any input? Thanks

[JerryBrightbill]

Re: Web Security Functions

You can not specify your own security guid for the web security. The security system will create and supply it own, with is actually a modified guid. You can specify all other user parameters, such as userid, ulink, password, etc.

[EricN]

Re: Web Security Functions

Ok, I now have this:

If eval_valid("session.__protected__userid")
dim request.variables.guid as c
dim request.variables.email as c
request.variables.guid = "Guid" <-- Is this what you mean?
request.variables.email = CurrentForm.Controls.Email.value <-- also tried without "value"

dim output as p
dim output.controls as p
dim output.controls.guid.value as c
dim output.controls.email.value as c

dim result as p
dim error_message as c
dim group_list as c
result = a5ws_Save_User_Values(output,request)
if result.errors = .T. then
error_message = "Bad request"
end
end if
user_guid = output.controls.guid.value
a5ws_save_user_values(output,request)
end if

This is still not working...not saving to security

[Steve Wood]

Re: Web Security Functions

As in: request.variables.guid = ""

But you are mixing methods here. The code you are using is designed for adding users to security outside of a dialog component, like an A5W page. That's what all the dim output.controls stuff is about.

But you are doing this inside of a dialog component. There is a very clear example in the help on adding users using a Dialog. You will end up with only one or two lines of code per event.

[EricN]

Re: Web Security Functions

Well I'm just not getting it with this one... toiled for hours now. I bet the answer is simple and right in front of me but just can't spot it.

I copied my working NewUser dialog I created months ago and made modifications.

Initialize: a5ws_get_user_values(CurrentForm,request)

Validate
This is all I have for Validate...

' a5ws_save_user_values(CurrentForm,request)
dim request.variables.guid as c
dim request.variables.email as c

request.variables.guid = ""
request.variables.email = ""
a5ws_save_user_values(CurrentForm,request)

Aftervalidate: a5ws_get_user_values(CurrentForm,request)

Interactive Window
?a5ws_User_File_Field_List()
= Email
Guid
Password
SecAns
SecQues
Ulink
Userid

[EricN]

Re: Web Security Functions

Well this one simply stumped me. Maybe someone else will be kind enough to post the solution...

I read the help page (link above) so many times I'm seeing double. :(

[Steve Wood]

Re: Web Security Functions

Before I show an example, how do you know its not working. If you are publishing to your localhost, and then adding users, you need to run Web Security > Utilities > Retrieve Files (from localhost or your server). Otherwise you will not see added users in the Users and Groups list.

[EricN]

Re: Web Security Functions

Hello Steve,

After each test through the dialog component, I have been going into Web Security ->Users and Groups -> Import/Export Users -> Import User Information From Server -> after clicking OK then click "Retrieve Files" Then find user I'm testing -> Edit User and here I am able to see if the User's email has been changed. It has not changed.

After clicking Submit, the changes seems to be saved on screen but not in security table.