Win' NT, Netscape Server & Patron Authentication

[Marc Salomon]

|1)  For the library's part, does this flat file system seem like good
|system, or can you recommend a better one?

Depends on how many patron records you want to search.  < ~several thousand and
you're OK, more than that and you might want to use a db.

|2)  For the search part, if we go with the flat file, is it possible to
|write it in Visual Basic and have it work (I have no programming
|experience so all recommendations welcome -- I am hoping to get in touch
|with a programmer through the university).

I don't see why not.

|3)  What other considerations, recommendations, opinions, or possible
|questions do you have that I should be aware of.  We are hoping to duplicate
|this process and use it for other library services that are open only for
|registered patrons.

Let me get your process straight:

1.  User connects to http://www.vendor.com/
2.  www.vendor.com asks the user to authenticate
3.  user enters credentials via standard HTTP authentication mechanism
4.  www.vendor.com opens an HTTP connection (in the background) to www.lib.edu,
    and asks for validation of the authentication data.
5.  your application accepts/rejects that data using HTTP response codes to the
    back-channel connection.

Before I comment, is this what you plan to do?

-marc

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