How to log in as guest via IWP?

[laker_42]

How do I have users login to a database with the Guest account via IWP? If I enable the guest account to have access to IWP, it automatically logs in users as guest. It does not prompt for a password so I cannot log in as a higher access user. Any ideas?

Thanks!

John

[transpower]

I just tested this and confirmed the problem. I suppose one work-around (or kludge) would be a tiny button on the screen (which only you would know) which would run a Relogin script, automatically logging you in as Admin (or whatever, but without dialog). If there's a more elegant solution, I'd like to see it.

[Reed]

One option is to use the relogin step with values from fields on a "relogin" layout. The main problem with this is that you can't mask the password on the screen as the user types it into a field.

Another option (which I just posted to comp.databases.filemaker) is to not have a guest account at all. Just create a normal account that uses the guest privileges, and do one of two things.

1. Put the username/password for this guest account on a web page that has a direct link to the database in question. (Not a link to the IWP home page, but the whole URL to a specific DB)

2. Modify the link to your DB by inserting the username and password into the link

 

<a href="http://username:[email protected]:portnumber/fmi/iwp/cgi?-db=dbname&amp;-startsession">Schedule</a>

 

This works with all of the browsers I've tried (IE, Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox, Safari)

Let me know how this works for you,

Dana

[Reed]

In case there are people reading this who didn't know what I just discovered, the URL syntax described above is no longer supported by default in IE6 (although it works in every other browser that works with IWP, IE mac, NS, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera)

So the workaround for this (less than slick) would be to just list the username/password for the "guest" account on the page that has the link. Then anyone who reads the directions has "guest" access, and anyone with a real account can enter their real credentials.

Dana

[laker_42]

Thanks for all the suggestions. After talking with FMP tech support, it doesn't look like they will add this functionality unless a few people request it.

To me it doesn't seem to be unreasonable to expect IWP to function that same as FMP client in this instance. It should prompt you for a password and allow you to enter in a username & password or select guest account. It seems logical to me but I may be wrong. If you agree with me, I would encourage you to submit a request to FMP regarding this. I will be and hope to get some support.

Thanks!

John

[Reed]

It may not be that easy to implement this with a browser, since they are making use of the browser's authentication mechanism. It would be easier for filemaker to support the relogin script step in IWP with dialog, or allow fields in IWP to be masked with bullets for password entry layouts.