When someone mofidifes a link. they have to type in the current url listed in the database. Is there anyway to change this so that instead of entering the old URL, they enter the ID number instead? Let me know. Thanks,

Nicholas

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Tryed to do this, but didn't get it to work.

I belive it was my lack of knowledge that did it..

But I will try again later ...

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--
- FlowerPower

I was looking at doing something similar to this myself. Give me a day or so and I will post how to do it (if I can). However, I do think it is a good idea to require both the ID and the URL. I'll try to come up with a way of doing it for both Links 1.1 and 2.0b4.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/
goodstufflists.home.ml.org/

I think you are thinking the same thing I am here. Since a user listed in your dtabase only knows his or her own ID this would be a perfect way to avoide abuse on the modify option of links (to a point anyway). Each user would need to enter their ID number to make any changes. No messing around with paswords, quick and easy.

Anyone have any ideas?
for links 1. not the new beta

hellraida,


The three items asked for to validate a person making a resource modification in my mod are already in the database and, therefore, available for use.

You could add a password field in links.def and then modify my mod to ask for it and check to be sure it is valid. You would also need to add the code to store the password in links.db, add/modify code everywhere to handle the field, and use/validate the password (on the modify pages). I do not see where you get any additional security by doing so, however. It would just add an additional field the user would have to complete and would add more overhead and size to the database.

The idea behind my mod was to provide a minimal security system without the need to add fields to links.def and links.db or write a whole bunch of new code. With a few simple mods as outlined, you have the same security adding a password would give. In essence, the email address of the person who added or last modified the resource is the password as it is the one field not shown within the resource display (I have even modified my detail display to eliminate the contact info for the resource).

Feel free to modify my mod, if you want to, to add passwording to it. It would give you a good exercise in Perl/cgi programming.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/
goodstufflists.home.ml.org/




[This message has been edited by Bobsie (edited January 24, 1999).]

Okay, I have completed my mod. I call it the "Links Modification Security System" mod. It may not be exactly what CEGlobe (Nicholas) wanted, but will permit him to see how to do what he wants to do.

For everyone else, this simple system will add a bit more security to the resource modification process by requiring an ID, URL, and email address to be entered whenever someone uses the "Modify a Resource" option. In essence, it restricts the modification to the person who originally submitted the resource.

This mod, while designed for Links v2.0, can easily be adapted to Links v1.1 as well since the code is very similiar.

Instructions on installing and using the mod is located at http://www.orphanage.com/...stuff/links_mod.html

Comments and/or bug reports will be appreciated. Post them either here or to me via email.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/
goodstufflists.home.ml.org/

Hi,
I was just looking at your modification and it looks good, a thought came to me while looking at this portion:
# Make sure we have an ID, URL, and Email address for the resource to modify.

What if in the original submission form we had a required password field. Wouldn't the password be stored in the same place as the e-mail address,id and url we are requiring for modification?
And then on the modification form we could have a field for them to enter their password and password could be added as on of the things your modification checks for. I hope this makes some sense. it's just a thought.

bye for now.

[This message has been edited by hellraida (edited January 24, 1999).]

Hey there!
I am working on installing your mod using the ID, URL and Contact Email of the user. I use templates on my system and the program has to have the variables defined in the site_html_templates.pl . I'm kinda new to all of this and while I can usually figure things out, I'm having a hard time figuring out what to set these variables to....can you possibly point me in the right direction? Thanks!

smalltownboy66,


All you have to do in the template file(s) is use them as <%LinkID%>, <%Current URL%>, and <%LinkContact%>. All the other variables for all the other record fields are available the same way.

Having said that, though, the only place you really need to use those variables is in the template file, modify_error.html. Their use in modify_error.html is already covered by step 6. of the mod instructions.

I hope this helps.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/
goodstufflists.home.ml.org/



[This message has been edited by Bobsie (edited January 26, 1999).]

Thanks for the security mod!

I am having a problem. . . .I added everthing as specified. I did copy & paste, to insure that I didn't goof any replacements.

I added a resource, validated it, and checked my email to see my confirmation email, it came through, but it had

Link ID: Unkown Tag: LinkID
Link URL: Unkown Tag: Current URL
Link Contact Email: Unkown Tag: LinkContact


I checked my email-add.txt and this is what I have

Link ID: <%LinkID%>
Link URL: <%Current URL%>
Link Contact Email: <%LinkContact%>


Is this not right?

Any help appreciated.

 
I hope this helps.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/
goodstufflists.home.ml.org/


[This message has been edited by Bobsie (edited January 26, 1999).]

Thanks for the help. I had those first, but never tested it that way.

Hello,
I have installed the new mod for the modify a resource section. When I try to modify a link, I receive the error page with the following errors.

ID (Can not be left blank)
Hits (Can not be left blank)
Rating (Can not be left blank)
Votes (Can not be left blank)

I'm not exactly sure where I went wrong. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Hope

Hope,

Sorry I wasn't online on the 20th to see this (or, for that matter, the 21st). But we did resolve it via email.

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Bob Connors
bobsie@orphanage.com
www.orphanage.com/goodstuff/

Hello Bob,
Thanks again for all your assistance. Everything seems to be working great! What a great MOD!

Take Care
Hope