Logging in Session Variables Issue

[JP SIngh]

Hi All

We have an ASP application which tracks holidays for our employees. When the
user logs in we store thier username in a session variable and use that
variable when displaying and adding data to the access database. The
username is the primary key for the database table.

strUsername = request.form("U serName")
set RS = server.createob ject("ADODB.rec ordset")
MySql="select * from empprofile where empname ='" & strUserName & "'"
RS.Open MYSql, CONN_STRING

if not RS.eof then
session("UserNa me") = strUserName
session("Email" ) = RS("Email")
response.redire ct("displayholi days.asp")
end if

on the display holidays page I run a query like

Select * from HolidayRequest where Username = '" & session("Userna me") & "'"

to display the holiday records for that employee.

I have two questions.

1. Is it a good practice to store the username in a session variable to keep
track of who is logged in?

2. Sometimes when a user is logged in for too long without any activity the
session variable clears and when adding or displaying records it gives an
error. What I would like to do is somehow keep a track and if at all the
session variable expires for it to display a message that "You have been
logged off" please login again but logging in again should take the user
back to the page which logged them out.

Many thanks for your help in advance.

[Dominic Marsat]

> 1. Is it a good practice to store the username in a session variable to
keep

track of who is logged in?
You don't really have a choice because the HTTP protocol that you
use to browse is stateless, therefore, each request for a page is
completely independant of earlier requests.

Using a session variable is fine. I think it's only really an issue
for very busy web servers.

2. Sometimes when a user is logged in for too long without any activity the session variable clears and when adding or displaying records it gives an
error. What I would like to do is somehow keep a track and if at all the
session variable expires for it to display a message that "You have been
logged off" please login again but logging in again should take the user
back to the page which logged them out.

Just check for when the variable contains nothing

i.e.

<%
If Session("user_n ame")="" Then
blah
End if
%>

Where blah for example could be a response.redire ct to
another page displaying the logged off message.

Note, that you can change the session time out in the IIS
control panel or using VB script.

[Dominic Marsat]

Or, you could use a form and post the user
data to each page to avoid using session
variables

"Dominic Marsat" <djmarsatAThotm ail.com> wrote in message
news:u$******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

1. Is it a good practice to store the username in a session variable to

keep

track of who is logged in?

You don't really have a choice because the HTTP protocol that you
use to browse is stateless, therefore, each request for a page is
completely independant of earlier requests.

Using a session variable is fine. I think it's only really an issue
for very busy web servers.

2. Sometimes when a user is logged in for too long without any activity

the

session variable clears and when adding or displaying records it gives an error. What I would like to do is somehow keep a track and if at all the
session variable expires for it to display a message that "You have been
logged off" please login again but logging in again should take the user
back to the page which logged them out.

Just check for when the variable contains nothing

i.e.

<%
If Session("user_n ame")="" Then
blah
End if
%>

Where blah for example could be a response.redire ct to
another page displaying the logged off message.

Note, that you can change the session time out in the IIS
control panel or using VB script.

[JP SIngh]

Thanks Dominic

That was exactly what I was after

thanks
"Dominic Marsat" <djmarsatAThotm ail.com> wrote in message
news:eh******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...

Or, you could use a form and post the user
data to each page to avoid using session
variables

"Dominic Marsat" <djmarsatAThotm ail.com> wrote in message
news:u$******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP11.phx.gbl...

1. Is it a good practice to store the username in a session variable to

keep

track of who is logged in?

You don't really have a choice because the HTTP protocol that you
use to browse is stateless, therefore, each request for a page is
completely independant of earlier requests.

Using a session variable is fine. I think it's only really an issue
for very busy web servers.

2. Sometimes when a user is logged in for too long without any

activity

the

session variable clears and when adding or displaying records it gives

an error. What I would like to do is somehow keep a track and if at all

the session variable expires for it to display a message that "You have been logged off" please login again but logging in again should take the user back to the page which logged them out.

Just check for when the variable contains nothing

i.e.

<%
If Session("user_n ame")="" Then
blah
End if
%>

Where blah for example could be a response.redire ct to
another page displaying the logged off message.

Note, that you can change the session time out in the IIS
control panel or using VB script.