I think there are a couple of potential uses for this plugin, both assume that you have some kind of authentication scheme for users of your website (other than GForum) and that you give your users cookies.
Case 1) You are using MailArc and you have a user database that includes their e-mail addresses: When MailArc imports a message into GForum it creates a disabled user with the senders e-mail address (if a user with that e-mail address doesn't already exist). So if you give your users a cookie with their e-mail address when they log into your site the AutoLogin plugin will automatically log them into GForum using their e-mail address as the username. If they are disabled (ie it is their first visit to GForum other than posting to your maillist) they will be enabled and an arbitrary password set. If they do not have a GForum account (ie they have not yet posted a message to one of your maillists) an account will be created for them using their e-mail cookie as the username.
Case 2) You aren't using MailArc and you have a user database that includes a field that you want to use as their GForum username: Give your users a cookie with the field that you want to use as their GForum username when they log into your website. When your users visit GForum AutoLogin will create an account for them using the username cookie, if it is their first visit, or just log them in if it is a return visit. So it is essentially an easy way to authenticate your users into GForum using an existing authentication scheme (assuming you use cookies or can add cookies to your existing scheme).
In either case you would want to modify the GForum login template so that they log into your website, not directly into GForum. OR change the header "Login" link so that it points at a login page for your website.
The only concern I can think of is how to handle it when users change their e-mail address. As is, a new account would be created for them in GForum with each email change. No effort is made to track the change so defunct users will accumulate as users change their email addresses. I'm not sure how big a problem this is, but doesn't seem very elegant. At mininum users would need to understand that they would have to set up their profiles all over again everytime they changed their email address.
Hope that helps.
Michael Coyne
seaturtle.org
Case 1) You are using MailArc and you have a user database that includes their e-mail addresses: When MailArc imports a message into GForum it creates a disabled user with the senders e-mail address (if a user with that e-mail address doesn't already exist). So if you give your users a cookie with their e-mail address when they log into your site the AutoLogin plugin will automatically log them into GForum using their e-mail address as the username. If they are disabled (ie it is their first visit to GForum other than posting to your maillist) they will be enabled and an arbitrary password set. If they do not have a GForum account (ie they have not yet posted a message to one of your maillists) an account will be created for them using their e-mail cookie as the username.
Case 2) You aren't using MailArc and you have a user database that includes a field that you want to use as their GForum username: Give your users a cookie with the field that you want to use as their GForum username when they log into your website. When your users visit GForum AutoLogin will create an account for them using the username cookie, if it is their first visit, or just log them in if it is a return visit. So it is essentially an easy way to authenticate your users into GForum using an existing authentication scheme (assuming you use cookies or can add cookies to your existing scheme).
In either case you would want to modify the GForum login template so that they log into your website, not directly into GForum. OR change the header "Login" link so that it points at a login page for your website.
The only concern I can think of is how to handle it when users change their e-mail address. As is, a new account would be created for them in GForum with each email change. No effort is made to track the change so defunct users will accumulate as users change their email addresses. I'm not sure how big a problem this is, but doesn't seem very elegant. At mininum users would need to understand that they would have to set up their profiles all over again everytime they changed their email address.
Hope that helps.
Michael Coyne
seaturtle.org
