Receiving variables from (authentication) servers

[Meetloaf]

I have a few questions about how I can receive variables from external resources. I am running a few layouts via the Instant Web Publishing interface. It is a scholarship application for students in my department. The file is served up with Filemaker Server 8. The student will simply click the link and a startup script limits access to most options except data entry. The file is accessed using the Guest account.

Currently I have them entering their own Student ID # (which I use as the unique ID), however, this doesn't prevent them from accessing other students records if they happen to know other's ID #'s.

I have the potential option of receiving information from an LDAP server or via java script or other means...for instance, they would log in using the University's Login/Password interface, after which the server could send variables/parameters to Filemaker such as their Student ID#, Name, etc. from the University's records.

My question is how exactly I have Filemaker receive these variables, parameters, etc.? And does special consideration need to be taken since the file will be accessed via the Instant Web Publishing, and since multiple users may be accessing the file at once?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

[Steven H. Blackwell]

I know of no way for FileMaker Server to receive this type information in the context you describe.

Steven

[Meetloaf]

Do you have any viable alternatives? All I need is some way to pass one variable (a 9-digit ID #) from the University's authentication server to FMP. The authentication server is set up to send variables, I just need to know how to receive it.

Thanks

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Do you have any viable alternatives? All I need is some way to pass one variable (a 9-digit ID #) from the University's authentication server to FMP. The authentication server is set up to send variables, I just need to know how to receive it.

Not off the top of my head, particularly at this early hour.

It might be possible to have some sort of OS level scripting or middleware query the Directory Server and then either communicate with FMP or have FMP communicate with it to pass this information. I will try to think a bit about this, and if I do come up with something, I'll post an answer.

Steven

[Meetloaf]

Steven, I don't completely understand this fellow's post, but would this be an option:

This is a quite general question which leads to a complicated field.

As you may know, JavaScript is a (mostly) web-based technology. There is no link to the script language used by FileMaker. You need to turn on custom web publishing (CWP). For this you need either FileMaker Server Advanced 7 or 8 or FileMaker Unlimited 6.

E.g. in FMSA 8 CWP you can send queries with JavaScript, for example by using location.href or by using the XMLHttpRequest object that is one of the basic ingredients of AJAX.

Go here for all postings.

Thanks

[Meetloaf]

Another follow-up, I noticed a function called external, which appears to call some sort of plugin. Would it be possible to create a plug-in that retrieves the variable I want from the external source and then pass it on to my FM file?

Thanks again.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Possibly, but that plug-in would have to be able to communicate with the domain controller.

Let's go back to basics. What info do you need and why do you need it? There may be another route to this.

Steven

[Meetloaf]

Possibly, but that plug-in would have to be able to communicate with the domain controller.

Steven

Sounds messy

Well, let me tell you what we're dealing with. The university has a login server set up that validates/authenticates our identities (netID/password). In order to gain access to our records, registration, etc. this is what we type in. The university gives access to this server on a restricted basis (I believe it is an LDAP server, but I am not completely sure). Many departments on campus make use of this netID/password login simply to ensure that the person is a university student or faculty member.

I am developing a scholarship application via IWP. Initially all I was going to do is have the student click on the scholarship link, which would then forward them to the university's login page, and after a successful login it would forward them to the scholarship application, where they would type in their Student ID # to access their application. However, this does not restrict access to any other student's application if they were to know another person's Student ID#; they could get past the university log-in with their information and then access another student's application with the stolen information

Since I came up with that plan, I learned that my department has an account with the university that allows them to retrieve correlating information about the student, after the student logs in (such as the Student ID #, name, phone number). So here I am, trying to figure out how I can retrieve a 9-digit ID # and simply use it to pull up the student's application automatically (or create a new one), that way each student can only access their application. (I do this with a script that performs a find).

There's a mouthful, probably more than you intended to get, but I hope it makes my situation more clear.

Thanks again

[Wim Decorte]

In general this kind of integration can be done through OS-level scripting so you have 2 challenges:

- having FM execute (or create and execute) an OS level script

- have FM capture the result

The best way (but hardest way) is doing this through a plugin. Since this needs to run in CWP or IWP it needs to be a server-side plugin. There are a couple of plugins that can trigger OS scripts but I'm not sure they work on the web part.

The other way is make your OS script prepare a text file and import that into FM, but that certainly won't work in IWP.

One other way now that I think about it would be to have the OS make a small HTTP page and display it in a web viewer and have FM scrape the content of that...

[Meetloaf]

The best way (but hardest way) is doing this through a plugin. Since this needs to run in CWP or IWP it needs to be a server-side plugin. There are a couple of plugins that can trigger OS scripts but I'm not sure they work on the web part.

One other way now that I think about it would be to have the OS make a small HTTP page and display it in a web viewer and have FM scrape the content of that...

I've sifted through a number of scripts offered online, and there are those that will trigger scripts that typically aren't available via IWP but they are not compatible with server-run files, so that rules them out.

I am curious about your last suggestion, how could I have FM 'scrape the content'? It sounds exciting

Thanks again. You guys are great!

[Wim Decorte]

In FM you can get to the content of what's in the web viewer, so you parse it out.

I've posted an example a ways ago:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/179124/post/216479/hl//

Let me know if it helps.

[Meetloaf]

In FM you can get to the content of what's in the web viewer, so you parse it out.

I've posted an example a ways ago:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/179124/post/216479/hl//

Let me know if it helps.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't I need FM 8.5 to utilize that? I'm not familiar with Webviewer. Also, is this compatible with IWP and a file run on Filemaker Server?

Thanks

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Web Viewer is a FileMaker Pro 8.5 functionality.

Steven

[Meetloaf]

Question, even if I had FMP 8.5, our server is only FMS 8...so since the file is served up from the server, would the web-viewer functionality be compatible with the server?

[Wim Decorte]

web viewer is a client-only feature. For IWP and CWP you would need FMSA 8.0v4 (the latest update)

[Meetloaf]

So, if my server is updated to 8.0v4, and I purchase the FMPA 8.5 update, and I implement the WebViewer functionality and then the WebViewer will run on my server via IWP?

[Wim Decorte]

It should. But I've heard reports that it doesn't always. I can't test now so do test before committing to it.