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The easy stuff first:
Hockey wrote:
I would be able to design my DB on my computer get my ASP scripts working using PWS and simply upload my db and site to a server and switch the DSN to SqlServer instead of Access 97...?
Almost. You can do this for some things, and for others you cant. For example, if you have any CREATE TABLE SQL then in Access, you use "Boolean" type and in SQL Server you use "BIT". Just an example. There are others that make it different 
IMHO you would be better off obtaining MSDE (Microsoft Data Environment) and using that. It is SQL Server without the interface (ie, no Enterprise Manager) and is available free. Usually appears on Visual Studio CDs somewhere. That way, you are sure that it will work, and you can take advantage of stored procedures and other advanced SQL Server things (if you want).
Hockey wrote:
The author then says this isn't 100% fool proof and the would be hacker could possibly get by. I'm thinking somehow override the boolean value to always equal TRUE using the IWebBrowser component (Hijack it's JScript interpreter)...?
AFAIK that wouldnt work. The session variable (the boolean) is never sent to the client. All that is sent is a session ID, and ASP uses that to get its session variables. Thus, the only way to mislead it would be for the client to send back a false session ID, but it would require knowing what session ID would be valid, and already logged in.
I have always just used session variables and I havent come across any problems, but I am not an l337 h4x0r
--
David Wengier
Sonork ID: 100.14177 - Ch00k
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with msde you can use access2k as a management console of a sorts ... it sux big time but its better than scripts imho
and where can i find out about these sessions thingies and all the other asp rhubarb ... am a beginner at it and need to know
situations to avoid #37:
"good morning ... how many sugars do you take in your coffee ... and what was your name again?"
coming soon: situations to avoid #38: "...and the dog was there too?"
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Do a search for login.
Paul Watson pointed me in a nice direction a while back...I'm just checking them out now, but they are pretty good resources for basic logins.
Cheers!
"An expert is someone who has made all the mistakes in his or her field" - Niels Bohr
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I just read another aritcle that explains basic authentication, but using IP addy instead of session cookies. I like this idea better, the whole cookie thing makes me really nervous.
Where would I get this MSDE....is it RDBMS like access...?
I think you explained this already...saying it's like sqlServer minus a few bells and whistles. Sorry i'm a total newbie with database stuff. Although...using databases (re-learning is a bitch) i'm now seeing the potential and speed dev time drop 10 fold as compared to doing all this sh*t with generic file ops in Perl.
Long live DB and ADO...
Just one more question...An Access database is compatible w/ SqlServer...? Like the internal format and structure of thew tables is obviously the same...? Just the SQL statements differ slightly...?
Thanx! 
"An expert is someone who has made all the mistakes in his or her field" - Niels Bohr
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Well, again, it is almost the same. It also depends on what DB Provider do you use. For example, Jet Engine (also from MS ) gives you much more features then others. Even same data types, like mentioned, you will use BIT in both SQLServer and Access. But it seems to be quite problematic with a lot of requests to Access database. I actually suggest to use SQL Server if you can. Just some hostings will not include it in to your package, usually you need to add some money to get SQL server.
But what you mean by format and structure? Of course it is different, but you are not opening Access files in binary more and parse them manually. DB Providers do all work for you I remember when I wanted to move from Access to SQL Server, I had no problems with importing tables/queries. So I'd say it is ok
As for Session variables, yes it is not 100% proof solution, but where did you see any 100% solutions? Also it is the common way to make a users management/login on the site. On really critical pages you can request authorization from the database by querring for stored in Session Username and Password. It will be the best way I guess.
Philip Patrick
Web-site: www.stpworks.com
"Two beer or not two beer?" Shakesbeer
Need Web-based database administrator? You already have it!
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Philip Patrick wrote:
But what you mean by format and structure? Of course it is different, but you are not opening Access files in binary more and parse them manually.
Thats what I meant yup...I was just curious if they shared similar file structures. Nothing important, just curious.
Cheers!
"An expert is someone who has made all the mistakes in his or her field" - Niels Bohr
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Philip seems to have answered your questions quite nicely
Just about the IP address though, that seems to be more insecure. The IP address you get from ASP is only guaranteed to be as unique as the proxy server the person rode in on (so to speak). If its an intranet then you dont have that worry, but there is the issue of anybody being able to use that computer and get access, without logging in.
I'll assume there is more to it than you have written here
As for the database compatibility, as Philip said, internally what they are like is irrelevant. They are compatible enough, such that there will not be huge code changes, and Microsoft provide automatic importing tools in SQL Server to read access databases. Whether or not your ISP allows you access to this (its called DTS, which i thnk is Data Transformation Services) is another issue, but its not hard to import data anyway. You just open two connections, read from one, write to the other.
--
David Wengier
Sonork ID: 100.14177 - Ch00k
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Hello!
If you are familiar with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), you are probably aware of www.subprofile.com and www.imchaos.com. Well, about a year ago I created a code that works similar to the way the sites I mentioned above work. On my profile, I have a link. If you want to see message me. The link to look at the profile is:
<A HREF="http://SERVER/q.asp?sn=%n" TARGET="_self">Profile</A>
When a person clicks on a person's info on AIM that has a space in the format of their screen name (ex: "ExAm PLe"), the URL is changed to:
"http://SERVER/q.asp?sn=ExAm PLe"
After clicking on that link, a message appears: "Error Loading Content." And this is a result of the space. If I choose to open it up in separate window it does work with the space. But in AIM it does not work.
After pretty much after a whole year of testing, nothing has worked. I've re-written my code some times now, and still get the same error. After looking at the details, I could think of I still have this problem. I checked the logs of my server to see that after clicking the link if the request is made to my server. There is NO log entry for that attempt. So that concluded me to believe that AIM has a problem with that link. Subprofile.com and Imchaos.com have solved this problem somehow.
Any insight you have or ideas you might have... I would be must greatful. And if you need more information about this just message me or respond to my post.
Thanks Again,
Sean 
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I dunno about you, but I'm seeing a lot of potential here... hehehe... like, say, using subprofile.com to create a page that contains an onLoad event, or simply having the user click on a link, which brings up a page, which gets their IP, and runs a server-sided program to hack their computer, and install a trojan, which sends you their password by e-mail, which gives you COMPLETE CONTROL OF THEIR AIM SN!  And the added benefit of having a trojan installed....
NO! BAD DOMENIC! MUST USE TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBLY! SLAP! SLAP!
But... the possibilities...  SLAP!
Sorry about that. 
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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No No! I'm not a hacker!! I'm trying to produce code that works  nothing bad at all, seriously. I've been stuck on this problem for awhile.
-Sean
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Ya, I know, I was just off in my own little universe there for a while
Anyway, don't know if this could help, but whenever I see a space in a URL it is encoded as %20 (20 = hex for 32 = space's ASCII code). Perhaps that's what's making the page choke, it wants it encoded? I couldn't think how you could do that without using JScript, tho, and that's prolly not allowed in profiles... Hmm...
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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my code does take into account the spaces...either %20 or + which both stand for a space...
I input the screen name using ASP... and getting that data using QueryString....
-Sean
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instead of passing the username as the identifier to retrieve the profile info why don't you try passing a unique numerical value which also identifies the profile. This way there are never going to be any spaces to be worried with and your URL should always work.
Using the integer identifier assumes all of the profiles are held in a database and using integer type identifiers.
nick
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I wonder how does the script in CP forums know when to append the "new!" icon at the subject line of the message. It can not be just because of the date of posting. I've tried hitting every message that I saw with that icon and went to attend some of my work for a while, went back to the forum and found that the messages that I have visited a while ago don't have the icon anymore!
Any hint? Do I smell cookies here? Maybe it's a simple one that I am missing ... Tnx!
(just like after I submit this, I am expecting to see the "new" icon in yellow!)
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From what I can tell it takes the date/time of sign in, then marks any post that occured after that date/time as new.
You need to remember that your sign in date/time isn't neccesarily the last time you put your username/password in. When the session object times out on the server you will be 'logged out' of the system, but when you hit the page again it will automatically log you in assuming you have it set to do so.
James
Simplicity Rules!
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I see. So the script simply displays the icon if the message posting date is greater than the "last visit". Tnx!
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So, here's my technical question for the day. I have a really cool idea for my new web site's architechture. Problem is, I don't know if IIS is capable of it, or exactly how it would do so. Here goes:
I want all my data to be a combination of my own proprietary XML format and XHTML. Something like:
<small>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Page xmlns:XHTML="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<Head>
<Title>Site Map</Title>
<Image Width="200">Images/SiteMap.gif</Image>
</Head>
<Body>
<XHTML:p>
The site map is designed to help you find exactly what you're looking
for on the MadHamster Creations website. It allows quick and easy
lookup of and access to every file and page on the site, giving you the
ability to get to exactly what you need as fast as possible.
</XHTML:p>
<XHTML:center>
<XHTML:div>Choose the organizational structure you prefer:</XHTML:div>
<XHTML:table>
<XHTML:tr>
<XHTML:td><Link Href="javascript:OpenFileSiteMap()" Status="..." Comment="...">By Files</Link></XHTML:td>
<XHTML:td><Link Href="javascript:OpenPageSiteMap()" Status="..." Comment="...">By Pages</Link></XHTML:td>
</XHTML:tr>
</XHTML:table>
</XHTML:center>
</Body>
</Page>
</small>
Pretty cool, huh? Pure data, no layout. Anyway, because I can't rely on the client having IE6 (for XSL stuff), of course all my XML transformation will be done on the server side. This is where things get fuzzy...
My plan is to have on ASP.NET (.aspx) page, which takes as an argument (PageWriter.aspx?doc=ThatDoc.xml) the XML document to translate. However, I was wondering if there was anyway NOT to have that ugly URL show up in the browser. You see my drift? A simple ThatDoc.xml would be best, although perhaps a ThatDoc.aspx, ThatDoc or Content/ThatDoc.xml would work as well if it would be easier.
I've heard something about this before, somewhere, in some MSDN magazine article perhaps? Anyway, my computer with IIS is still dead ( ), but just give me an idea which of the above, if any, is good, because I'm writing my XML on this Win98 machine ( ), and would like to know which I can use before I start plugging URLs into my link tags.
Thanks in advance, and I'm sorry I couldn't find the write forum, but this doesn't seem to fit anywhere, and everybody ignores anything not in the lounge NEway...
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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I think HttpHandlers will do the trick.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
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So in regards to filling in my link tags, does that mean I can map it onto ThatPage.xml?
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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You can only map it to types that ASP.NET is in charge of handling. I just took a quick look on this box and I don't see it in the IIS MMC snapin.
If you look in the machine.config file (located in the %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\%DOTNETVERSION%\Config directory) you will see a section called httpHandlers, it looks like this is where it tells IIS what types ASP.NET will be handling.
You can add a new handler in this list to specify what should be done when that file is requested, if the HttpHandler documentation isn't good you can check the source to the provided handlers with ILDASM or Anakrino to see how they work.
James
Simplicity Rules!
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James T. Johnson wrote:
it looks like this is where it tells IIS what types ASP.NET will be handling.
So would I be better coming up with my own file type, e.g. .mhc (the page is for my "company", MadHamster Creations)? That way I could have any files of that type be handled as I wanted? Keep in mind, at this point I just want a vague idea of what's possible and what's not, and most importantly, what exactly I should put in my <Link> tages in the meantime!
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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Domenic [CPUA 0x1337] wrote:
So would I be better coming up with my own file type, e.g. .mhc
Yes, I would; otherwise your handler is going to be called whenever an xml file is requested; which isn't a good thing, especially if you plan on sharing the server with others (outside of your company or other developers who don't know about your handler).
I know I've seen an example somewhere of creating an HttpHandler, but I can't find a reference to it now
James
Simplicity Rules!
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The last msdn mag came with a excellent article about httphandlers
Reality.sys is corrupted!
Reboot the universe Y/N?
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Ah, I C. Sorry about the wrong forum thing Chris
-Domenic Denicola- [CPUA 0x1337]
MadHamster Creations
"I was born human. But this was an accident of fate - a condition merely of time and place. I believe it's something we have the power to change..."
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Custom HttpHandlers should work (Chris already mentioned this.)
Another way you could do this would be to create a Custom 404 handler. Let people type in ThatDoc.asp (or ThatDoc.whatever), see if it is actually your XML file and if so render it, otherwise do standard 404 stuff.
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