Most interactive websites nowadays would require a user to log in into the website's system in order to provide a customized experience for the user. Once the user has logged in, the website will be able to provide a presentation that is tailored to the user's preferences.
A basic login system typically contains 3 components:
1. The component that allows a user to register his preferred login id and password
2. The component that allows the system to verify and authenticate the user when he subsequently logs in
3. The component that sends the user's password to his registered email address if the user forgets his password
Such a system can be easily created using PHP and MySQL.
================================================================
Component 1 ? Registration
Component 1 is typically implemented using a simple HTML form that contains 3 fields and 2 buttons:
1. A preferred login id field
2. A preferred password field
3. A valid email address field
4. A Submit button
5. A Reset button
Assume that such a form is coded into a file named register.html. The following HTML code excerpt is a typical example. When the user has filled in all the fields, the register.php page is called when the user clicks on the Submit button.
[form name="register" method="post" action="register.php"]
[input name="login id" type="text" value="loginid" size="20"/][br]
[input name="password" type="text" value="password" size="20"/][br]
[input name="email" type="text" value="email" size="50"/][br]
[input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit"/]
[input type="reset" name="reset" value="reset"/] [/form]
The following code excerpt can be used as part of register.php to process the registration. It connects to the MySQL database and inserts a line of data into the table used to store the registration information.
@mysql_connect("localhost", "mysql_login", "mysql_pwd") or die("Cannot connect to DB!"); @mysql_select_db("tbl_login") or die("Cannot select DB!"); $sql="INSERT INTO login_tbl (loginid, password and email) VALUES (".$loginid.",".$password.",".$email.")"; $r = mysql_query($sql); if(!$r) {
$err=mysql_error();
print $err;
exit(); }
The code excerpt assumes that the MySQL table that is used to store the registration data is named tbl_login and contains 3 fields ? the loginid, password and email fields. The values of the $loginid, $password and $email variables are passed in from the form in register.html using the post method.
================================================================
Component 2 ? Verification and Authentication
A registered user will want to log into the system to access the functionality provided by the website. The user will have to provide his login id and password for the system to verify and authenticate.
This is typically done through a simple HTML form. This HTML form typically contains 2 fields and 2 buttons:
1. A login id field
2. A password field
3. A Submit button
4. A Reset button
Assume that such a form is coded into a file named authenticate.html. The following HTML code excerpt is a typical example. When the user has filled in all the fields, the authenticate.php page is called when the user clicks on the Submit button.
[form name="authenticate" method="post" action="authenticate.php"]
[input name="login id" type="text" value="loginid" size="20"/][br]
[input name="password" type="text" value="password" size="20"/][br]
[input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit"/]
[input type="reset" name="reset" value="reset"/] [/form]
The following code excerpt can be used as part of authenticate.php to process the login request. It connects to the MySQL database and queries the table used to store the registration information.
@mysql_connect("localhost", "mysql_login", "mysql_pwd") or die("Cannot connect to DB!"); @mysql_select_db("tbl_login") or die("Cannot select DB!"); $sql="SELECT loginid FROM login_tbl WHERE loginid='".$loginid."' and password='".$password."'"; $r = mysql_query($sql); if(!$r) {
$err=mysql_error();
print $err;
exit(); } if(mysql_affected_rows()==0){
print "no such login in the system. please try again.";
exit(); } else{
print "successfully logged into system.";
//proceed to perform website's functionality ? e.g. present information to the user }
As in component 1, the code excerpt assumes that the MySQL table that is used to store the registration data is named tbl_login and contains 3 fields ? the loginid, password and email fields. The values of the $loginid and $password variables are passed in from the form in authenticate.html using the post method.
================================================================
Component 3 ? Forgot Password
A registered user may forget his password to log into the website's system. In this case, the user will need to supply his loginid for the system to retrieve his password and send the password to the user's registered email address.
This is typically done through a simple HTML form. This HTML form typically contains 1 field and 2 buttons:
1. A login id field
2. A Submit button
3. A Reset button
Assume that such a form is coded into a file named forgot.html. The following HTML code excerpt is a typical example. When the user has filled in all the fields, the forgot.php page is called when the user clicks on the Submit button.
[form name="forgot" method="post" action="forgot.php"]
[input name="login id" type="text" value="loginid" size="20"/][br]
[input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit"/]
[input type="reset" name="reset" value="reset"/] [/form]
The following code excerpt can be used as part of forgot.php to process the login request. It connects to the MySQL database and queries the table used to store the registration information.
@mysql_connect("localhost", "mysql_login", "mysql_pwd") or die("Cannot connect to DB!"); @mysql_select_db("tbl_login") or die("Cannot select DB!"); $sql="SELECT password, email FROM login_tbl WHERE loginid='".$loginid."'"; $r = mysql_query($sql); if(!$r) {
$err=mysql_error();
print $err;
exit(); } if(mysql_affected_rows()==0){
print "no such login in the system. please try again.";
exit(); } else {
$row=mysql_fetch_array($r);
$password=$row["password"];
$email=$row["email"];
$subject="your password";
$header="from:you@yourdomain.com";
$content="your password is ".$password;
mail($email, $subject, $row, $header);
print "An email containing the password has been sent to you";
}
As in component 1, the code excerpt assumes that the MySQL table that is used to store the registration data is named tbl_login and contains 3 fields ? the loginid, password and email fields. The value of the $loginid variable is passed from the form in forgot.html using the post method.
================================================================
Conclusion
< p>The above example is to illustrate how a very basic login system can be implemented. The example can be enhanced to include password encryption and additional functionality ? e.g. to allow users to edit their login information.Used with the author's permission.
This article is written by John L.
John L is the Webmaster of designer banners (designer banners).
Understanding and using web analytics.In recent years, website marketers were... Read More
With more and more countries around the world passing laws... Read More
See how you can create graphic effects on text with... Read More
When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
Project Safekids provides webmasters a valuable tool which could save... Read More
How can we add Word Rich Content to our Websites... Read More
I recently helped my mom to launch a website (www.mom2me.com)... Read More
If your company own one or more stores, you might... Read More
Thinking about starting up a business? The web is the... Read More
Recently I was reviewing the keyword specific conversion rate data... Read More
Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same... Read More
In 1995 a new era of accessibility for disabled people... Read More
I had a client say something to me the other... Read More
Never has competition been so difficult in the Internet world.... Read More
This is a growing concern amongst many business owners. Does... Read More
How do you decide on the content, products and or... Read More
"Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of... Read More
So your traffic is going through the roof yeah? It's... Read More
When I set up my website I felt paypal was... Read More
The Internet is being used by local service business to... Read More
Most interactive websites nowadays require data to be presented dynamically... Read More
In the time that I have been using the Internet,... Read More
The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
So you want to take a look at a real... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More
An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and... Read More
QUESTION: Should I build and maintain my business Web... Read More
Rosalind wants to share her inspirational poetry with a wider... Read More
Research reveals three important facts:1) The Internet is one of... Read More
There have been many significant changes to the face of... Read More
The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More
While most marketers are beginning to understand the critical importance... Read More
D.zigns dzignerwebs The Basics Before starting on... Read More
One of the best tools you have as a webmaster... Read More
"I don't sell anything online, I don't advertise online, in... Read More
When you publish a content site there are times when... Read More
Starting an internet business can be confusing to non-veterans. The... Read More
When you take a look at the most visited sites... Read More
After deciding what kind of internet business you want to... Read More
When marketing your website, it's important to know which of... Read More
When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More
"If you build it, they will come"; is an age... Read More
Do you make your website just to entertain yourself or... Read More
Everyone wants one.Everyone wishes they knew how to make one.SOME... Read More
If you've been developing websites on Mars for the past... Read More
If you're fairly new to the Internet scene, you may... Read More
Most people know they need a website in order to... Read More
A system development process can follow a number of standard... Read More
The first step in setting up an online business...Starting an... Read More
Web Development |