[RESOLVED] Automatically update a 'Last Updated By' field?

turtleton09

Basically I have a main table of developments we're keeping track of, including a 'Last Updated By' field.

There is also a table of users so that people can log in (and hopefully somewhere along the line store the 'current user').

The idea is that when a development is updated the 'Last Updated By' field updates to the name of the user making the change.

Can someone point me in the right direction with how to achieve this...

Cheers.

Roger_Ramjet

Well if you used the mysql access privilege system to set up user accounts and each user logged in and subsequently connected with their own user account then you could set the column with the USER() or CURRENT_USER() functions. Typically this would be handled by an Update Trigger so you don't have to remember to code it in every query that alters the table data in any way.

That is very different process from having your own users table and them all connecting with the same general purpose user account which I guess is what you are using. In that case you have to store the user in a session var and remember to use it in every query that updates the data in any way. This method is prone to error as people forget over time when you modify and extend the application.

Up to you which you choose but believe me the proper way with individual accounts is the best way in the long run.

turtleton09

Cheers - I'll have a look at those in the morning. Sounds like it's a better way of doing it. Haven't really started that side of things with this project - just remember that that was how I got it to work when I first dabbles in web database stuff years ago, using Access - so seemed like the easiest way to explain what I'm trying to do.

turtleton09

All looks a bit complicated to me unfortunately.

As a starting point, I have added some users to the Priveliges section in phpMyAdmin - so basically 'root', plus a couple of other users.

At the moment Dreamweaver connects with the database using :

<?php
# FileName="Connection_php_mysql.htm"
# Type="MYSQL"
# HTTP="true"
$hostname_connDevelopments = "localhost";
$database_connDevelopments = "developments";
$username_connDevelopments = "root";
$password_connDevelopments = "[i]password[/i]";
$connDevelopments = mysql_pconnect($hostname_connDevelopments, $username_connDevelopments, $password_connDevelopments) or trigger_error(mysql_error(),E_USER_ERROR); 
?>

How do I go about users logging in?

turtleton09

OK - think I've figured out how to do it just using dreamweaver's log in / restrict access behaviours, and simply having a hidden field :

<input name="LastUpdatedBy" type="hidden" id="LastUpdatedBy" value="<?php echo $_SESSION['MM_Username'] ?> ">

And then inserting this into the table from the update page.

It's only a small local application, rather than anything major out in the wild, so it should be OK.