password protection: sign in / out, or log in / out

M

Margaret

Dear Group:

I searched the threads before posting, hope I'm not repeating a question.
Please point me to the post(s) if you've already answered this.

I know how to password protect a web page / sub-site. What I haven't been
able to figure out is how to create a "sign out" or "log out", err,
mechanism, so to speak.

So, questions:

Is there some documentation you can direct me to?

Is this a javascript and/or DHTML, and / or server side, and / or "something
else" thing?

(I was going to say "an ASP.net thing, but I really haven't delved into .net
- such a greenhorn I am ..) :)

Any suggestions - really appreciated.

Sincerely,

Margaret
 
M

Mark Fitzpatrick

The mechanisms between the typical way that FP protects a subweb and the way
you would use it with a sign-in/out button are rather different. Basically,
all FP does is ask the web server to set certain file permissions on the
directory that contains the web. When a user encounters this directory the
web server asks the OS if they have permission to view it as an anonymous
internet user. If no, then IIS tells the web browser to authenticate with a
pop-up username box then passes that information back to the web server and
the OS for evaluation.

In the typical mechanism where you see a sign-in/out, it's often a tad
different. Usually in these cases, you have a custom authentication scheme,
such as calling users in a database as opposed to permissions on the files
on the server. If a cookie (called a formsauthentication ticket in ASP.Net)
is on the browser with correct credentials, then the user is deemed logged
in. If the cookie isn't there they get redirected programatically to the
login page that then passes their user information back to the server for
validation, at which time a cookie or ticket is issued to the browser. The
signout procedure simply deletes this cookie.

So, basically, one way involves doing server-side programming to handle the
custom authentication through a platform such as ASP.Net, PHP, ColdFusion,
JSP, ASP, etc.. The FP way doesn't use this mechanism. ASP.Net though did
introduct many mechanisms to make user authenticaiton for a web site much
easier and it's now pretty well documented for that platform as well.

Hope this helps,
Mark Fitzpatrick
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
 
M

Margaret

Mark / Mike:

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be posting another related question a bit
later ... oh, the joy web design!

Sincerely,

Margaret
 
Top