Re: Options on session control in a web application

"Ed Prochak" <edprochak_at_gmail.com> schreef in bericht news:99d2906b-cc52-4dff-8eb4-b0fab4e38e2b_at_y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Connected to:
> Oracle9i Enterprise Edition Release 9.2.0.8.0 - 64bit Production
> With the Partitioning and Oracle Data Mining options
> JServer Release 9.2.0.8.0 - Production
>
> Showing my lack of User interface application skills here.
>
> We have web applications built with PL/SQL. The goal is to develop a
> simple timing application. When the user enters the fist screen, make
> a log entry which include the time. When they exit that screen, note
> how they exited (e.g. OK or CANCEL button pressed) and update the log
> with a stop time. Given the stateless nature of HTML, what's the best
> practice to deal with this situation?
> Use a cookie?
> Use hidden HTML form fields?
> Other?
>
> I feel so dumb.
> ed

Your approach may fail when a user exits the application just by closing his browser, or chooses a shortcut that opens in the same browser window. We had the same problem and decided to add some (basic) activity logging by adding log entries for more clickable items like links, buttons etc; not to monitor WHAT a user was doing, but WHEN. If a user closes his browser, a gap will be seen in the activity log. If he starts again, we assume the last activity as the time he left the previous session.

Shakespeare Received on Sun Aug 03 2008 - 05:13:10 CDT