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Applications By Smo - Version 3 All Applications are now available as shareware. There are no limitations or 'nag' screens. If you decide to use the application for more than 30 days you must purchase a license.
Refunds - No Refunds...try before you buy. Technical Support - For registered users only. I check my e-mail often. Its very important to me to offer my clients quality support in a timely manner. I answer all e-mail within 24 hours. Table of Contents: Applications By Smo consists of the following applications. These applications have been changed from their stand alone versions to work together. The Login Database By Smo allows you to maintain a members database on your web site and secure selected pages. Visitors can create/edit/delete accounts and retrieve forgotten login information via e-mail. Features include login info stored in cookie (optional), password encryption, confirm registration via e-mail (optional), 10 authorization levels, 4 status levels, admin status, statistics, e-mail members, complete member management, and automatic code generation to protect your web site pages. Login information is placed in session variables that can be used by any code on the web site. The application will run inside a 'template page' (any page on your web site) allowing the program to fit seamlessly into any design. The Login Database By Smo is an Active Server Page Application written in the VBScript programming language. The News Database By Smo allows you to maintain a news database on your web site. Post/edit/delete articles with headline, author, date and time, lead in, full article, related link, and photos. Features include three display formats, a comment system, archive, search, print, e-mail articles to friends, password protected article poster page, password protected administration page, posting of articles to go active at a future date, and the ability to customize the date format, colors, font, font size, and icons. The application will run inside a 'template page' (any page on your web site) allowing the program to fit seamlessly into any design. The News Database By Smo is an Active Server Page Application written in the VBScript programming language. Photo upload to database is pure asp...no components needed on the server. The Profiles Database By Smo will allow users to maintain a profile on your web site. The profile can consist of work information, home information, personal information, custom form one (10 custom fields), custom form 2 (10 custom fields), and photo. The administrator can set which of these categories will be active. The application will run inside a 'template page' (any page on your web site) allowing the program to fit seamlessly into any design. The Profiles Database By Smo is an Active Server Page Application written in the VBScript programming language. Photo upload to database is pure asp...no components needed on the server. 1. Your isp (Internet Service Provider) must have the following running on their web server. Its ok if you are unfamiliar with the terms below. Your isp knows what they mean and can inform you if they are available on the server that hosts your web site. These are standard parts of Microsoft's© web site hosting technology.
2. Your web site viewers need to be using Internet Explorer Version 4.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator Version 4.08 or higher. Version 3 browsers work well but have a few bugs. Is anyone still using a 3.0 browser? 1. Unzip the files - Unzip the files in the applicationsbysmo_v3.zip
into a folder in your local web site directory (where you develop your
web site before uploading). Be sure to unzip the file with the 'Use Directory
Names' option selected. You will now have a folder named 'applications'
containing the following files...
3. Create the login, news, and profiles database template pages - Next you need to create your template pages. They can be simple blank pages but you will most likely want them to have your web site's design. They can contain your web site's templates, library items, asp code, etc. They must be asp files. You can take your existing htm, html, etc. pages and change the extensions to asp. You will need a template page for each application you wish to use. In each template page you add the following line where you want the respective application to run. <!--#include file="logindatabase.asp"--> <!--#include file="newsdatabase.asp"--> <!--#include file="profilesdatabase.asp"--> Make sure the line of code only appears once in your template pages and that it is not in the title. The template pages MUST be in the 'applications' folder with the other 'applications' files. An example template for each application is provided. They are...
You can view these pages with Notepad or your HTML editor to see the code. 4. Open the 'applications_config.asp' file for editing - Edit the 'applications_config.asp' file with your favorite editor (Notepad works nicely). Read through this file and follow the directions it contains. You may need to obtain some of the required information, such as the physical address of your rename_me.mdb (which you have renamed...), from your isp. Note: You must set a Redirect Page. The first page your members see after login can either be the Redirect Page (as set in the 'applications_config.asp') or your login database template page that will automatically contain a link to the Redirect Page (as well as other login database options). Set this preference in the Set Login Options Page of the Administration Page. The Redirect Page will need 'Secure Page Code' added to it if you want only members to have access. See the section entitled 'Securing Pages' below. You may wish to create links on your Redirect Page to allow members to edit/delete account, and logout/login. See the 'Links' section below for help creating these links. 5. Upload Files - Upload all the files to your web site. 6. Link to your template pages - You can now link to the template pages which will run and include their respective applications. If you want to make a 'Login' link simply link to the login database template page. If you want to make a 'Members Only' link, link to your members only page (usually your Redirect Page) and then put 'Secure Page Code' at the top of the members only page to verify that the user is allowed access. If the user is not allowed access the 'Secure Page Code' will redirect the user to the login page otherwise it will load the members only page. 7. Securing the profiles and news database - You need to login to create a profile but the profiles application and news application are not setup as secured pages by default. If you want to secure these pages simply add 'Secure Page Code' to the template pages for these applications. See the section entitled 'Securing Pages' below. 8. Cookies need to be enabled - Your users must have cookies enabled for the application to run correctly. The application does not place any cookies that last beyond the user's session (except the cookie to remember login information if the option to do so is enabled by the administrator and the user elects to store the cookie). If a user does not have cookies enabled a custom error page will inform them of this fact when they try to perform a task that requires a 'session' cookie. 9. Java NOT needed - The login database application does not use any Java Script. Unless your login database template page uses Java Script your users do not need to have Java enabled to use the login database. 10. Buffering needs to be on - If you find you get a 'Buffering Off' error when running the application see the trouble shooting section for the fix...its easy to fix. 11. Customize Icons - You can create your own icons and overwrite the applications default icons. Your icons can be of any size but it is best to keep them the size of the originals or at least close. You can experiment with different sizes to find what works best for your web site. Below are the default icon names and sizes. You will need to name your custom icon the same as the icon you wish to replace and overwrite that original icon in the images folder.
The Login Database - Key Points 1. Status - There are 4 status levels.
2. Authorization Level - There are 10 authorization levels; 1 to 10. All new members are granted Authorization Level 1 when they complete registration. 3. Session Variables - Below are the session variables created when a user logs in (manual login, via cookie, or new member completing registration). You can use these session variables with your own code. UserId is a unique long integer; no duplicates in the database. Authorization Level is 1 to 10. Admin is "Yes" or "No". Status is Active, InActive, UserDeleted, or UnConfirmed.
4. Securing Pages - Use the Generate Secure Page Code feature in the administration page to generate the code you will need to secure your web site pages. Copy and paste the generated code at the top of each page you wish to protect. You can also make include files by pasting the generated code into blank pages and 'including' these pages at the top of the pages you want to secure (be sure to use the .asp extension and not the .inc extension for these include files. Using the .inc extension is not as secure as the .asp extension). If you use templates for your pages copy and paste the code at the top of your template page (or 'include' an include file at the top of your template). Protected pages must have an .asp extension. Try not to change the name/path (virtual address) of your login database template page! If you change the virtual address of your login database template page those pages that you have secured with 'Secure Page Code' will need to be updated with new 'Secure Page Code' to reflect the change. This is because the 'Secure Page Code' uses the virtual address to redirect users to the login page if their login fails. Pages with 'Secure Page Code' will load a member's information from a cookie (if this is enabled by the admin and the member has elected to store login information as a cookie) and log them in automatically (Status Active only!). Passwords are encrypted. If you have disabled the ability for members to use cookies to store login information on the options page (after having it enabled), any cookies that exist on member's computers will be removed upon next login either manually or through a secure page and the member will have to login manually. 5. Login - Members can login manually or via a cookie (if the administrator has enabled cookie storage of login info and the member has elected to store the cookie). Remember that only pages with 'Secure Page Code' will load the cookie and login a member. 6. Custom login form - If you want to create your own login form you can do so easily but remember that it is NOT necessary because the application has its own login page. Some designers may choose to make a custom login form that fits into their menus etc. Here are some guidelines if you wish to do so... 7. Links - You can create links on your web site pages to access the functions of the login database. The links should point to your login database template page and in the case of Delete/Edit/Logout have a bit of code added to the end of the link. See below... Delete - /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=delete&deletestep=deleteform Edit - /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=editlogin&editloginstep=editloginstart Login - /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp Logout - /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=logout A member must be logged in to use the Delete and Edit functions. Only add these links on pages where you know members will be logged in. The News Database - Key Points 1. Photos - The photos are stored in the database. The photos MUST be of type JPEG (.jpg extension) or GIF (.gif extension). Photos that do not meet the criteria are rejected. The actual photos are only taken out of the database when being displayed. You can set the height and width limitations of photos from the 'Set Options' page of the administration page. Keeping the height and width of the photos small will keep the file size of the photos small as well. It is best to use the JPEG format for pictures that contain many colors such as real life photos and complicated artwork. This is because the JPEG format can store all the complicated photo information in a much smaller file than the GIF format can. Use the GIF format for larger images that contain fewer colors. Keeping the file size of the photos small will help keep the size of your database file small and reduce the strain on your server when it takes the photos out of the database for display. 2. The administrator can add articles using the News Database Administration Page. If you want to give non-administrators the ability to add articles simply direct them to the News Posting Page (postnews.asp) and provide them with the News Posting Password you set in the newsdatabase_config.asp. Users must have cookies enabled to use the News Posting Page. The News Posting Page does not place any cookies that last beyond the session. Following are the functions of the News Posting Page.
The Profiles Database - Key Points 1. Photos - The photos are stored in the database. The photo MUST be of type JPEG (.jpg extension) or GIF (.gif extension). Photos that do not meet the criteria are rejected. The actual photo is only taken out of the database when being displayed. Applications By Smo Administration Page To use the Applications By Smo Administration Page you simply load the admin.asp located on your web site into your browser and enter the administrator password. It is a stand alone file and does not need a template file or special configuration. You must have cookies enabled to use the administration page. The administration page does not place any cookies that last beyond the session. The administration page does not use a custom error page. 1. Statistics - Displays statistics. 2. Logout - Logout and load the Redirect Page set in the applications_config.asp 3. Add Member - Allows the administrator to add members. 4. Manage Members - Use this page to manage members. Be careful! 5. E-mail Members - Send E-mail to members. 6. Add Article - Add an article. 7. List Current Articles - Lists the current articles. 8. List Pending Articles - Lists the articles that will go active at a future date. 9. Archive - Use the archive page to find older articles. 10. Search - Use the search page to search for articles. 11. Generate Secure Page Code - Use this page to generate the code you will need to secure pages on your web site. 12. Set Login Options - Use this page to set the Login Options. All options can be changed at any time.
13. Set News Options - Use this page to set the News Options. All options can be changed at any time.
14. Set Profiles Options - Use this page to set the Profiles Options. All options can be changed at any time.
15. Set Profiles Welcome Message - The administrator can enter a custom welcome message. The message will display on the Profiles Database Welcome Page. You can use HTML tags. For example, the following will display an e-mail link on the welcome page... If you have any trouble using the profiles database, you can send me an <a href="mailto:myemailaddress">E-mail</a>. 16. Set Profiles Custom Form One - Use this page to set the field names of Custom Form One. The number of characters the user will be able to enter in the field is noted. 17. Set Profiles Custom Form Two - Use this page to set the field names of Custom Form Two. The number of characters the user will be able to enter in the field is noted. 18. Launch ReadMe Page - Displays this readme file. 19. List By Letter - Lists all members by first letter of last name. 20. List All Members A-Z - Lists all members in the database alphabetically by last name. 21. Search All Members - You can search the login database by entering either first name, last name, or e-mail. 22. List Admin - List administrators. 23. List Active - List Status Active members. 24. List InActive - List Status InActive members. 25. List UserDeleted - List Status UserDeleted members. 26. List UnConfirmed - List Status UnConfirmed members sorted by Join Date ascending. Join Date of an UnConfirmed member is the date they filled in the registration form. Join Date of a member who completed registration by entering their confirmation number is the date on which they did so. If the option to require confirmation via e-mail is turned off on the Set Options page then of course Join Date is the date the member registered. Keep in mind that if the administrator changes the status of an UnConfirmed member to a different status the member Join Date will reflect the day they completed the registration form and not the date they were taken off the UnConfirmed list. In addition, if the administrator changes the status of a member to UnConfirmed (after they have been active), if the member then confirms by entering their confirmation number their Join Date will reflect the date they entered their confirmation number and number of logins will be reset to 1. 27. List Authorization Level - List members according to their authorization level alphabetically by last name. 28. Options - Selecting the 'Options' link next to a member's name loads the options page which displays member statistics and allows the administrator to change member settings. If a member is logged in changes to their settings will not take effect until the next time they visit the site or logout and re-login. Total logins includes manual logins as well as automatic logins via a secure page. 29. Profile - Selecting the 'Profile' link next to a member's name loads the member's profile. From here you can display and delete a profile as well as view profile information. The application will trap most errors and display them on a custom error page rather than show the server default error page that leaves the user confused about what has gone wrong. The two most common errors for users will be 'cookies disabled' and 'session time-out' (session time-out is set to 20 minutes by the application overriding the server setting). If a user encounters one of these errors the custom error page will help them correct the problem. As an administrator the custom error page will assist you in correcting any problems you may encounter. Below are some common errors and their solutions. I get the following error: Data source name not found and no default driver specified ...or... '(unknown)' is not a valid path. Make sure that the path name is spelled correctly and that you are connected to the server on which the file resides. ...or... Could not find file '(unknown)' ...or similar... Make sure the database connection is set properly in the 'applications_config.asp'. I get the following error: Operation must use an updateable query. (or a 'permission denied' error) ...or similar... Make sure your isp has set the proper permissions on the folder in which your database resides. I get the following error: 006~ASP 0159~Buffering Off~Buffering must be on. Buffering is off. Either your isp has buffering turned off at the server level or the code in your template page turns buffering off. If your isp has turned buffering off simply add the following line of code to the top of your template page... <% Response.Buffer = True %> If the code in your template page turns buffering off you will need to change it to allow buffering. The code that turns buffering off will usually be at the top of your template page and look like the line below... <% Response.Buffer = False %> ...change to... <% Response.Buffer = True %> I get the following error: (The following error will not show in the custom error page but will be displayed by the server using its error handling method.) The page cannot be displayed There is a problem with the page you are trying to reach and it cannot be displayed. HTTP 500 - Internal server error The most likely cause of this error is the inability of the template page to load and include the respective application. Make sure the template page is in the 'applications' folder with the other application's files and that it is properly set in the 'applications_config.asp'. If you find you are still having trouble getting the Applications By Smo running correctly after reading the 'Trouble Shooting' section of this document please send an e-mail to iamsmo@comcast.net explaining the difficulty you are having. I have worked very hard to build a high quality application. I will do everything I can to help you get things working properly. I will reply to your e-mail within 24 hours. THE APPLICATIONS BY SMO IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY AS TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DATA LOSS, DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS OR ANY OTHER KIND OF LOSS WHILE USING OR MISUSING THIS SOFTWARE. Custom login form - If you want to create your own login form you can do so easily but remember that it is NOT necessary because the application has its own login page. Some designers may choose to make a custom login form that fits into their menus etc. Here are some tips (sample form and code at the end of this document). Design a form on your page where you want the user to enter their User Name and Password. The name of your text fields should be 'UserName' (type is text with maxlength 25) and 'Password' (type is password with maxlength 20) respectively. The action of the form (the link on the form) should point to your login database template page and have the following added to the end of it... ?cmd=login&loginstep=logincheck ...so if your link is the following... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp ...it will become... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=login&loginstep=logincheck The method of the form should be 'Post' and it can be named anything you wish. If you wish to add a 'Remember Me' check box the name of the check box field should be 'RememberMe' with value 'Yes' (checked or unchecked is up to you). Make sure you have the option for allowing the placement of cookies to store login info set to 'Yes' in the administration options page! If this option is set to 'No' a cookie will not be placed even with a checked check box on the form. Then add the 'Remember Me' link which informs the member what takes place if they check the 'Remember Me' check box... Simply make a link to your login database template page and add the following to the end of it... ?cmd=rememberme ...so if your link is the following... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp ...it will become... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=rememberme To add a Register link simply make a link to your login database template page and add the following to the end of it... ?cmd=createlogin&createloginstep=createloginstart ...so if your link is the following... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp ...it will become... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=createlogin&createloginstep=createloginstart To add a Confirm Registration link (make sure the option to require confirmation is set to 'Yes' in the administration page!) simply make a link to your login database template page and add the following to the end of it... ?cmd=confirm&confirmstep=confirmform ...so if your link is the following... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp ...it will become... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=confirm&confirmstep=confirmform To add a Forgot User Name/Password link simply make a link to your login database template page and add the following to the end of it... ?cmd=sendinfo&sendinfostep=sendinfoform ...so if your link is the following... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp ...it will become... /applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=sendinfo&sendinfostep=sendinfoform If you don't want the form to display if the member is logged in you can use the Session("Status") to check login status and only display the form if they are not logged in. Your going to have to do some custom coding. Use the Session("Status") for checking login... If Session("Status") <> "Active" Then Below is a sample custom login form. And the code... <form name="SmallLoginForm" method="post"
action="../applications/logindatabase_template_page.asp?cmd=login&loginstep=logincheck"> |