Multiple User Accounts

Hi,
any advice on the best way to set up and manage a small list of user
accounts (5-10 only). The built-in acounts and privileges functions
seem pretty awful to use. It seems that info has to be repeated for
every separate filein use, etc. I want the client to be able to
maintain a list of usernames and for each one select what access
levels they have without needing to ever go into the "acounts and
privileges" area. Some simple sample code would be fantastic. I'm
using FM8.5. Thanks, Mark.

Re: Multiple User Accounts

mgfilemaker wrote:

> any advice on the best way to set up and manage a small list of user
> accounts (5-10 only). The built-in acounts and privileges functions
> seem pretty awful to use. It seems that info has to be repeated for
> every separate filein use, etc. I want the client to be able to
> maintain a list of usernames and for each one select what access
> levels they have without needing to ever go into the "acounts and
> privileges" area.

If you use Active Directory in your system, check the feature "external
server" out.

If you have to manage the user account within Filemaker, create a table
for the accounts with these Fields

UserName
Level
Password
UserName_g (global)
Password_g (global)

In the file with this table you write scripts that
- sets the global fields with the value of the current record
- uses the level as script parameter
- calls the relevant script in each of your files (see below).

Make sure every file has an instance of this table on the relation
graphs. No relations are necessary.

_Every_ file needs scripts that create user accounts, delete user
accounts and reset passwords for existings user accounts. In these
scripts, you can use calculations for the usernames and password. You
put in the global fields of your user table there.

Unfortunately, you can't set the level with a calculation. First, you
have to set up the levels in each of your files. Then you can use the If
screpts together with script parameter to put a user account on the
correct level.

--
http://clk.ch

Re: Multiple User Accounts

In article <1i5h55l.158m0ezc8v1dyN%clk@freesurf.ch>, clk@freesurf.ch
(Christoph Kaufmann) wrote:

> mgfilemaker wrote:
>
> > any advice on the best way to set up and manage a small list of user
> > accounts (5-10 only). The built-in acounts and privileges functions
> > seem pretty awful to use. It seems that info has to be repeated for
> > every separate filein use, etc. I want the client to be able to
> > maintain a list of usernames and for each one select what access
> > levels they have without needing to ever go into the "acounts and
> > privileges" area.
>
> If you use Active Directory in your system, check the feature "external
> server" out.
>
> If you have to manage the user account within Filemaker, create a table
> for the accounts with these Fields
>
> UserName
> Level
> Password
> UserName_g (global)
> Password_g (global)
>
> In the file with this table you write scripts that
> - sets the global fields with the value of the current record
> - uses the level as script parameter
> - calls the relevant script in each of your files (see below).
>
> Make sure every file has an instance of this table on the relation
> graphs. No relations are necessary.
>
> _Every_ file needs scripts that create user accounts, delete user
> accounts and reset passwords for existings user accounts. In these
> scripts, you can use calculations for the usernames and password. You
> put in the global fields of your user table there.
>
> Unfortunately, you can't set the level with a calculation. First, you
> have to set up the levels in each of your files. Then you can use the If
> screpts together with script parameter to put a user account on the
> correct level.

And after all that you've probably done more work than you would have
doe using FileMaker's in-built system ... unless you've got literally
hundreds of files. :o)

Yes, FileMaker's in-built password system is kludgey (at best) and not
as easy to use as it could be, and that's in FileMaker 5, so it's
probably worse in the new versions. BUT, it's better and probably more
secure than reinventing your own system using standard database
scripts, fields and functions.






Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)

Re: Multiple User Accounts

On Oct 4, 1:52 pm, Helpful Harry
wrote:
> In article <1i5h55l.158m0ezc8v1dyN%...@freesurf.ch>, c...@freesurf.ch
>
>
>
> (Christoph Kaufmann) wrote:
> > mgfilemaker wrote:
>
> > > any advice on the best way to set up and manage a small list of user
> > > accounts (5-10 only). The built-in acounts and privileges functions
> > > seem pretty awful to use. It seems that info has to be repeated for
> > > every separate filein use, etc. I want the client to be able to
> > > maintain a list of usernames and for each one select what access
> > > levels they have without needing to ever go into the "acounts and
> > > privileges" area.
>
> > If you use Active Directory in your system, check the feature "external
> > server" out.
>
> > If you have to manage the user account within Filemaker, create a table
> > for the accounts with these Fields
>
> > UserName
> > Level
> > Password
> > UserName_g (global)
> > Password_g (global)
>
> > In the file with this table you write scripts that
> > - sets the global fields with the value of the current record
> > - uses the level as script parameter
> > - calls the relevant script in each of your files (see below).
>
> > Make sure every file has an instance of this table on the relation
> > graphs. No relations are necessary.
>
> > _Every_ file needs scripts that create user accounts, delete user
> > accounts and reset passwords for existings user accounts. In these
> > scripts, you can use calculations for the usernames and password. You
> > put in the global fields of your user table there.
>
> > Unfortunately, you can't set the level with a calculation. First, you
> > have to set up the levels in each of your files. Then you can use the If
> > screpts together with script parameter to put a user account on the
> > correct level.
>
> And after all that you've probably done more work than you would have
> doe using FileMaker's in-built system ... unless you've got literally
> hundreds of files. :o)
>
> Yes, FileMaker's in-built password system is kludgey (at best) and not
> as easy to use as it could be, and that's in FileMaker 5, so it's
> probably worse in the new versions. BUT, it's better and probably more
> secure than reinventing your own system using standard database
> scripts, fields and functions.
>
> Helpful Harry
> Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)

Well, in filemaker 7 forwards, your average solution should have a lot
less files, so while the work still has to be duplicated, its a lot
less. A 50 file Filemaker 5 solution should probably be designed using
5 or less files in Filemaker 7-9.

-Dave

Re: Multiple User Accounts

Thanks for the help, Mark.