Re: hidden password entry

->Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 01:09:07 -0500 ->From: Forrest Aldrich - SysAdmin <morwyn!root@everest.den.mmc.com> ->To: alan@effluvia.den.mmc.com ->Subject: Re: hidden password entry ->Organization: Vision Graphics -- Dover, NH - USA -> ->I read your response to someone's request and was curious... you mentioned ->using a login form with Informix. While I have an older version of ->4GL/SQL/ESQL-C (etc), I never heard of the Informix database ever having ->a login procedure. I know that stuff like Sybase does. As far as I know, ->to date, Informix still doesn't use the password field. -> ->If you have some sort of custom setup in this regard, I would be most ->interested in seeing/hearing about it as I would like to eventually ->incorporate such a mechanism in some future projects I plan to undertake. -> ->Thanks, -> ->Forrest -> -> ----------- Forrest Aldrich ----------- -> ------- morwyn!forrie@unhtel.unh.edu ------- -> ---- ---- -> -- VISION GRAPHICS -- Dover, NH - USA -- -> ------------------------------------------------------ Forrest, Based on my somewhat eclectic experience, the answer is multi-part: 1. Under UNIX (at least the Sun port), Informix leaves user validation and password checking to the OS. 2. Under MS-DOS you can install Informix with or without user names. If you install without, then USER always returns the value "PCUSER". If you install with user names, then Informix prompts you for a name and password when you load the engine, i.e., when you execute STARTSQL or PSTARTSQL. 3. If you are using a DOS front end with a UNIX back end, then Informix prompts you for a username and password when you load REMSQL, the PC end of the I-NET connection. 4. In all three of the above situations, the user's login name is available thru the USER keyword, which is available within embedded SQL statements, but surprizingly NOT available in "pure" 4GL statements like: LET my_userid = USER The password is not available to the application. It is much the same situation regarding ESQL/C as with 4GL. 5. In my application, I needed to dynamically log on to a UNIX host from within the DOS Informix 4GL program. Thus, I needed to ask the user for his/her password a second time, so I could pass it to the host OS. 6. As far as I know, you are correct: Informix does not use the field sysusers.password. Regards, Alan +------------------------------+---------------------------------------+ | R. Alan Popiel | Internet: alan@den.mmc.com | | Martin Marietta, LSC | ( Please note: My opinions do not ) | | P.O. Box 179, M/S 5422 | ( represent official Martin policy. ) | | Denver, Colorado 80201-0179 | Voice: 303-977-9998 | +------------------------------+---------------------------------------+