PHP DigiChat ODBC

[Martin Cunningham]

Hi. I'm using a MS Access DBase to store user information for DigiChat (a
java based chat program). The ssite requires users to log in and out. I have
all of this working properly except this. When a user is finished they
should log out but we all know not everyone does what they should. What I
was windering is can something be done so that if a user navigates to a
different page or closes the browser that it will automatically log them
off. its changing a value in the dbase. Changing the value is simple and I
have it working off a Log Out button. If someine can help me it'd be great.
Thanks in advance.

--
Martin Cunningham.
Macro-Tek

http://www.macro-tek.cjb.net/

[Joshua Ghiloni]

Re: PHP DigiChat ODBC

Martin Cunningham wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi. I'm using a MS Access DBase to store user information for DigiChat (a
> java based chat program). The ssite requires users to log in and out. I have
> all of this working properly except this. When a user is finished they
> should log out but we all know not everyone does what they should. What I
> was windering is can something be done so that if a user navigates to a
> different page or closes the browser that it will automatically log them
> off. its changing a value in the dbase. Changing the value is simple and I
> have it working off a Log Out button. If someine can help me it'd be great.
> Thanks in advance.
>[/color]

You can't do that, as HTTP is a stateless protocol. How about instead of
logging out the person when they leave, "log them out" -- that is, reset
all your variables to a default, non-logged-in state -- when they
arrive. That way, it will appear to the user as if they log out each time.

You could also try a "time-out" function (have your java applet send a
message to the server every x time units when it's running, and have
your server log out if you don't get one after y time units) if you want
to keep a running count of logged-in users.