Session Control in PH Web - new feature suggestion for phweb

Wed Aug 8 07:44:50 CDT 2007

Messagethe file v_dict_session_file.in contained the two lines below,

create file dict_session_file
exit

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe Boyle 
  To: 'Han Han' ; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 1:03 PM
  Subject: RE: Session Control in PH Web - new feature suggestion for phweb

  I am guessing that if two users login at the same 8 digit time ( I don't know if the processing of PHweb would ever enable this) , the PHrandom function will return the same value; so, I would say that a reasonably unique browser IP ( in conjunction with 8 digit time) would be more effective than a PHrandom result.

  That said, the windows %random% call seems pretty useful, but a database of used session id's (%random%  values) would probably need to be maintained - however they are generated, in order to ensure that you aren't giving out duplicates.

  If the PHwebservers were able to maintain a counter in memory, incremented when activated, and the individual PHwebservers per application worked on specific ranges of values, a unique sessionid would easily be available. 

  In conjunction with date and 8 digit time the combined result would be unique, even if the PHwebserver were left running for thousands of years ( an 8 byte integer using only fifty two bits can count up to 4503599627370496 - I only ever saw quiz accurate up to about 8999999999999999 - 52ish bits ).

  I have some notes containing some tips on returning random values below, it wasn't complete, but the approach worked at the time for PH on Windows ( didn't test with PHweb). With MSSQL I still like the idea of referencing an autoincrement column, but the key segments have to be unique in order to retrieve the correct row - so that obviates the need for the autoincrement column.

  type dict_session_file.cmd

  set v_dict_session_file=%1

  echo %v_dict_session_file%

  qutil < c:\ph\sqlserver\v_dict_session_file.in > c:\ph\sqlserver\makefile.log

  exit

  type idsession.qts

  can cle

  run n1

  req q1 proc lim 1 input lim 1

  acc file_lock

  choose orderid 99999999

  define t_sess char*10 = parm

  output dict_session_file add

  item word final t_sess

  type idsession.qks 

  can clear

  screen idsession  menu 

  temporary t_seed integer *8 size 4 reset at startup 

  temporary t_sess float reset at startup 

  temporary t_count integer reset at startup 

  temporary idfile_temp character *100 reset at startup 

  temporary rc_temp character *150 reset at startup 

  file dict_session_file designer close 

  field t_sess id 1     

  procedure internal isef

  begin

  let idfile_temp = truncate ( &

   "c:\ph\sqlserver\f_" + ascii( sysdate ) + ascii (systime) + ".dat")

  if not setsystemval ("v_dict_session_file", idfile_temp )

  then error "not set " 

  let rc_temp = "cmd /c c:\ph\sqlserver\dict_session_file.cmd " +  idfile_temp + " > c:\ph\sqlserver\dict_session_file.log"

  run command rc_temp

  let rc_temp = "cmd /c echo %random% > c:\ph\sqlserver\idsession.ran "

  run command rc_temp

  let rc_temp = &

  ;both below work fine

  ;"cmd /c qtp auto=c:\ph\sqlserver\idsession.qtc < c:\ph\sqlserver\idsession.ran > idsession.log"

  "cmd /c echo %random% | qtp auto=c:\ph\sqlserver\idsession.qtc > idsession.log"

  run command rc_temp 

  get dict_session_file       seq

  close dict_session_file

  info  = word now response

  end

  procedure internal ises

  begin

  let t_sess = random( t_seed)  * 1000

  end

  procedure initialize

  begin

  let t_seed = systime

  let t_count = t_count  + 1

  do  internal isef

  display t_sess

  info = ascii (t_count) + " <> " + ascii ( t_sess) now            response

  return

  end

  build list

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  From: powerh-l-bounces+atla38=dsl.pipex.com at lists.sowder.com [mailto:powerh-l-bounces+atla38=dsl.pipex.com at lists.sowder.com] On Behalf Of Deskin, Bob
  Sent: 07 August 2007 18:00
  To: Joe Boyle; Han Han; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
  Subject: RE: Session Control in PH Web - new feature suggestion for phweb

  Reasonably unique is not unique. Browser IPs as provided by the Web server environment variables provide the IP to return the results page to the browser. But if the browser is behind a router, that IP may not be unique to a specific PC. Regardless, we do have an enhancement on the list to provide these values.

  As for a system function, it's probably not worth the effort since any value that's received in the request can be obtained by declaring a temporary and doing an ACCEPT in the INITIALIZE procedure. 

  As for generating a unique ID, there are many different requirements and it's easier for customers to put their own together from things like SYSDATETIME, the result of the RANDOM function, and so on.

  Bob

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Joe Boyle [mailto:atla38 at dsl.pipex.com] 
    Sent: August 7, 2007 12:53 PM
    To: Deskin, Bob; 'Han Han'; powerh-l at lists.sowder.com
    Subject: RE: Session Control in PH Web - new feature suggestion for phweb

    Given that the return address of the browser must be reasonably unique, allow a system call ( along the lines of 'userid/logonid') to return the value of the address of the browser.  This would help enable sessionid processing.

    Obviously, it would be even easier if PHweb simply generated the equivalent of a unique sessionid J

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    From: powerh-l-bounces+atla38=dsl.pipex.com at lists.sowder.com [mailto:powerh-l-bounces+atla38=dsl.pipex.com at lists.sowder.com] On Behalf Of Deskin, Bob

    <SNIP> :)
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