Passwords over a relational database

[MaccA]

Basicly, I have made a relational database (4 database files + 1 menu file) for a college project and i need to put a password on the whole database, so only someone with the password has full access to the database.

I have done this with each file individually, but i need to know if i can setup a password so that it is used thoughout the database.

(Eg. I change the password on a single file and the password changes thougout all the files)

Thanks

MaccA

[DykstrL]

If you open one of the files with the password, when the other files open, the same password will be passed along to the other files as they open - that is provided the password structure is the same in all of the files.

The downside to this is if you allow users to change their passwords, the change does NOT carry to the other files - it has to be done individually for each file.

[cjaeger]

there is a plugin that allows changing all passwords in all open databases .... try a search at www.filemaker.com/plugins or www.fmpro.org.

But you should consider a proprietary password system or multiple passwords/password groups mit the same privileges ....

just do not allow people to change their passwords in multi-file solutions. It's not only changing the passwords, don't forget to change the auto-enter password in document options ....

[bellportal]

... you could also create a change password script that tells the user to enter the same information for each change password box in each file and then use the script to open the change password dialog in each file.

[Anatoli]

...and that can be fully automated by excellent Dialog Magic plugin from New Millennium...

[Cadderly]

How to do to create a script who updated all the passwords of all the files of the relational database ? Show me the instructions ...

[Lee Smith]

Hi Cadderly,

It requires a plugin, check out the one mentioned by Anatoli and I believe Secure FM.

Lee

[Cadderly]

I don't want to buy any plugin, no other solution?

[Anatoli]

It is very small price for Dialog Magic if you have to change password/s often. It will pay back soon.

[HazMatt]

Hey Cadderly, you and me both. I think FileMaker should have made this type of functionality at least semi-manageable. Currently and version 6, it's left to the 3rd party plugin realm. Complain to FileMaker for this feature!

[mse]

Agree. They should provide their Password Administrator, as well as a new security scheme, for free. Any decent DB software must have it built-in.

[ernst]

Another reason for NOT using a plugin is that it quite often makes your solution dependable on the moods of the programmer of that plugin, usually small companies.

I've been making use of a certain plugin quite intensively in a previous version of one of my solutions. When I wanted to switch to running the solution on Mac OS X in stead of 9, we had to wait for quit some time before an OS X compatible version of that plugin was released and then found it to make Filemaker very unstable.

But maybe this is not the right thread to start ranting about that...

Regards,

Ernst.