Here's my problem:

I have a database with a single table that's loaded with information, and each row represents a single person that database. I have several different pages in my site already that basically display the information about each person in a variety of ways (A manager/employee hierarchy, search function, etc).

However, where I'm stuck is at the capability of allowing these several different people/users to log in and change their own information within the database. I've added a username and password column and given each person values for them, but I can't figure out how to connect the login control to them.

If I use the default control, it wants me to either manually create all of the users in roles and groups (Which won't work because I need to be able to get Joe Manager or whoever the capability of adding whole new people to the database), or use Windows Authentication (Which I can't do because it's over the internet).

I've looked up some stuff on the internet and have tried changing my web.config file, but if that is the answer, I don't know how to direct it to the username/password fields in my database. Can I even go through the built-in login control? Do I have to change the web.config file? Am I making this way more difficult than it needs to be? ^_~ It just sounds like it'd be a no brainer to be able to connect a login control to a couple fields in a database... >_>

(I'm not entirely sure what kind of database I'm using... Just whatever the default is in Visual Studio 2005, so I'd imagine MSSQL. Also, I'm using C#, so that's preferred, but I found a nifty VB -> C# converter thing that I can use if I have to.)

Thanks!

Hi there,

There are a few ways to fix this problem. If all you're interested in is reusing the Login control to validate a user against a custom database schema, you could hook into the Authenticate event. Inside that event, you can access your own database and then set the Authenticated property based on the outcome of the database access.

However, if you want to use all of the Membership features that ASP.NET 2 provides, you could write your own provider that targets your own database. This article may server as a nice starting point: http://imar.spaanjaars.com/QuickDocId.aspx?quickdoc=380

Hope this helps,

Imar
---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Beginning Dreamweaver MX / MX 2004

Hmrm...

While that does seem like it'd work out just fine, it seems too complex for what I'm currently trying to do. I only need this for a like a demo/presentation, so I don't think it needs to be too tough.

I've looked at just making my own login using textbox and button controls, and it seems like all I'd have to do would be pass information from one page to another, probably using Session State.

Problem is, I'm not sure how I can transfer whatever the user put into the login boxes to the next page (Which is why I think I need Session State). How could I use that?

It doesn't have to be so hard.

Add code like this in the Authenticate event:

Protected Sub Login1_Authenticate(ByVal sender As Object, _
     ByVal e As System.Web.UI.WebControls.AuthenticateEventArgs) _
     Handles Login1.Authenticate
  e.Authenticated = True
  FormsAuthentication.RedirectFromLoginPage(Login1.U serName, True)
End Sub

Instead of setting Authenticated to True, call your database and pass in the username and password.

After that, the user will be seen as authenticated.

Search the MSDN site for FormsAuthentication.RedirectFromLoginPage and for the web.config settings for the Authentication and Authorization nodes.

In short, you need something like this:

<authentication mode="Forms">
  <forms loginUrl="Login.aspx" defaultUrl="Default.aspx" />
</authentication>
<authorization>
  <deny users="?"></deny>
</authorization>

This blocks access for all users, unless they are authenticated.

IMO, this is a much cleaner solution than rolling your own security stuff.

Imar
---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Beginning Dreamweaver MX / MX 2004