A Problem with Logged In Customers and a Link

[Charles Bastari]

If a logged in customer is on the home page and clicks the navigation button 'Products' they are taken to:

(i left the 'h' off on purpose)
ttp://supplyspecialties.biz/cgi/bb000000.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=shop%2ehtml
&ACTINIC_REFERRER=http%3a%2f%2fsupplyspecialties%2ebiz%2fcgi%
2fbb000000%2epl%26PRODUCTPAGE%3d%2e%2e%2findex%2ehtm

The customer is still logged in.

I've coded a link in a home page fragment to take them to the same page. If the link is clicked they are taken to the same page, but with this address:

http://supplyspecialties.biz/acatalog/shop.html

The problem is that the customer is no longer logged in if they click my link.
I've coded links to other parts of the catalog from the home page and they're not a problem. Customers stay logged in. I'm pretty sure it's got something to do with the CGI folder, but I don't understand why going to acatalog/shop.html would be any different than going anywhere else.

I had this problem before with a clickable image on the home page linking to acatalog/shop.html. I removed the link from the image some time ago because of it, but forgot about it completely. I only rediscovered the issue today.

Is there a way for a link in a fragment to be coded so that this will stop happening? I really don't want to have to remove it.

C

[wjcampbe]

I believe you need to add NOLOGIN=1 to the link, so it would be

(leaving your h off)
ttp://supplyspecialties.biz/cgi/bb000000.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=shop%2ehtml
&ACTINIC_REFERRER=http%3a%2f%2fsupplyspecialties%2ebiz%2fcgi%
2fbb000000%2epl%26PRODUCTPAGE%3d%2e%2e%2findex%2ehtm&NOLOGIN=1

[Charles Bastari]

Hi Bill,

My fragment link looks like this: (well, it did. i've temporarily removed it)
It's this link that's causing the problem if logged in:
!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="http://supplyspecialties.biz/acatalog/shop.html"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</A></U></B></CENTER>>!!

People are taken to: http://supplyspecialties.biz/acatalog/shop.html
and are no longer logged in.

But, if they click on the 'Products' button when logged in, this is the acatalog/shop.html address:
(h)ttp://supplyspecialties.biz/cgi/bb000000.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=shop%2ehtml
&ACTINIC_REFERRER=http%3a%2f%2fsupplyspecialties%2ebiz%2fcgi%
2fbb000000%2epl%26PRODUCTPAGE%3d%2e%2e%2findex%2ehtm and they remain logged in.

There's something about being taken to acatalog/shop.html from a fragment link when logged in that's being handled differently.

I tried the following in a test fragment and the fragment didn't even show in preview or on upload. There was only a slightly larger space between the paragraphs where I put the fragment.
(emptied cache, temp files, etc. the fragment just wasn't showing)

!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="http://supplyspecialties.biz/cgi/bb000000.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=shop%2ehtml
&ACTINIC_REFERRER=http%3a%2f%2fsupplyspecialties%2ebiz%2fcgi%
2fbb000000%2epl%26PRODUCTPAGE%3d%2e%2e%2findex%2ehtm"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</A></U></B></CENTER>>!!

then tried
!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="http://supplyspecialties.biz/cgi/bb000000.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=shop%2ehtml
&ACTINIC_REFERRER=http%3a%2f%2fsupplyspecialties%2ebiz%2fcgi%
2fbb000000%2epl%26PRODUCTPAGE%3d%2e%2e%2findex%2ehtm&NOLOGIN=1"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</A></U></B></CENTER>>!!

No luck.

[wjcampbe]

Charles,

Since you are on a brochure page, then from the advanced user guide, you need a referrer and a nologin on the link - thinking about it, though, there is no reason to go via cgi, so try

!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="http://supplyspecialties.biz/acatalog/shop.html?ACTINIC_REFERRER="http://supplyspecialities.biz/acatalog/&NOLOGIN=1"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</U></A></B></CENTER>>!!

I don't use brochure pages, so cannot test this myself.

NOTE - I have corrected the closing order of your tags (you should not normally need the <U> </U> pair at all, but if you are going to use them, they should both be inside/or both outside.. the <A> tags.

[Charles Bastari]

Bill, thanks for trying, but that didn't work either. It showed up fine in the test fragment, but still causes a log out. I'm just going to leave the link off for now. Maybe I've discovered a bug. (nahhhh)

There was purpose to my method w/ the underline thing. All the other links are to product categories and are not underlined. This one was centered and on a line by itself. I wanted it to stand out and be noticed as sort of a main catalog entry link.

Charles

[Nadeem]

Hi there

If you create a straight link to a page, then client who are logged it, will be logged out. When you are using customer accounts with Actinic, you are running a perlscript which is bb0000x.pl. If you were to click on a html link, then you are no longer running that script, therefore clients would be logged out.
Have a look at the following knowledge article. This will work for both logged in customer, and unregistered users.

Hope this helps

Kind Regards

[Charles Bastari]

I've read the article and understand. What I really don't understand now is why all the other coded links in the home page fragment that go everywhere but acatalog/shop do not cause the log out problem.

Try it yourself with the group of remaining links at the bottom of the page.
http://supplyspecialties.biz

User: Charles Bastari
Pass: guest

You will not be logged out when you follow any of the links.


If I cover myself and use the instructions in the knowledge article for all the links, this tip would be nice if I could get it to work. I don't see format as described when I create a link to a section in a test fragment. Where can I find it?

TIP: The 'Link' functionality in brochure fragments automatically creates links of this format. Why not use brochure to create links of the correct format that you can copy and paste into your custom designs?

C

[Nadeem]

Hi there

This is because the links you have on your homepage are generated by the variable "NETQUOTEVAR:HEADERGUIDE". This can be found in the 'Act_BrochurePrimary.html'. If you create any brochure pages within Actinic, and use this variables, then the link will change once you are logged in, and also change when you are logged out. This cannot be done outside of the variable, eg you cannot do this within the fragment or template I'm afraid.

Hope this make sense

Kind Regards

[Charles Bastari]

Nadeem,

I'm a bit of a dunce about NETQUOTEVAR:HEADERGUIDE (and FOOTERGUIDE).
I'm sorry.

This cannot be done outside of the variable, eg you cannot do this within the fragment or template I'm afraid.

If you are referring to the handcoded links, aren't they outside the variable?
They are within the fragment. Actinic didn't generate them. I did.

I'm more confused now than ever. The links that are there that I coded straight to the destination pages aren't causing people to be logged out. That's all I know. And if I leave off the link that I posted about in the first place the problem is gone.

C

[Nadeem]

Hi Charles,

Sorry to confuse you, anyway before I answer, From what is written on Post 7, when going to your site, on the first page, you have a list of links at the bottom, eg "Copier Supplies | Laser and Inkjet Supplies". Is this one fragments with a page of links? How was this done?

Please advise.

Kind Regards

[Charles Bastari]

Nadeem,

Thanks for hanging in there with me on this. It is a single fragment. The following is how those links are coded. They are done the same as the one that was logging people out. The only difference is that these are going to sections and the one that was logging people out was going to acatalog/shop.html. What I'm really confused about is how people can follow these links and not bypass the script, but can bypass the script if they are linked to acatalog/shop. Did you try logging in to test it for yourself?

!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="Copier_Supplies.html">Copier Supplies</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="LASER_AND_INKJET_.html">Laser and Inkjet Supplies</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="Phaser_Supplies.html">Phaser Supplies</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="THERMAL_FAX_FILM.html">Thermal Fax Film</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="THERMAL_FAX_PAPER.html">Thermal Fax Paper</A>>!! !!<<A HREF="PRINTER_RIBBONS.html">Printer Ribbons</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="MAGNETIC_MEDIA.html">Magnetic Media</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="OFFICE_PAPERS_AND_FILM.html">Office Papers and Film</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="PLOTTER_PAPERS_AND_FILM.html">Plotter Papers and Film</A><BR>>!! !!<<A HREF="CONTINUOUS_FORMS.html">Continuous Forms</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="LABELS.html">Labels</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="LABEL_MAKER_TAPE.html">Label Maker Tape</A>>!! | !!<<A HREF="STAPLES_AND_PRINTBANDS.HTML">Staples and Printbands </A></B></CENTER>>!!

Charles

[Nadeem]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for providing the information, Yes I did test it on your site, and are checking on the default site now with the information you just put on. Please bear with me.

Kind Regards

[Nadeem]

Hi Charles,

Ahhh i see what happening here, The difference is that in your 1st example, you were doing a full url and not simply specifiying the html page.

Here is how it should be for the link to the online store:

!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="acatalog/index.html"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</A></U></B></CENTER>>!!

Doing it this way will allow Actinic to provide a link for customers as well as unregistered users. If you put a full link in, then Actinic will just use that and not change it.

Kind Regards

[Charles Bastari]

Nadeem,

Thank you so much for your guidance. I substituted 'shop' for 'index' and it worked.

!!<<CENTER><B><A HREF="acatalog/shop.html"><U>Browse - Search - Mini Site Maps</A></U></B></CENTER>>!!

I almost didn't try it on upload because I kept getting a 404 error in preview. I don't understand the 404 error. Login doesn't work in preview, so that not being a factor, why would the other links work in preview, but not that one? What's different about going to acatalog/shop rather than sections via fragment links.

Charles

[Nadeem]

Hi Charles

What's different about going to acatalog/shop rather than sections via fragment links.

The main difference is that when you are previewing, it is looking at the following location: "file:///C:/Program%20Files/Actinic%20v7/Sites/Site1/PreviewHTML/"

Now Actinic generated the sections pages within the "PreviewHTML" folder, however if we put the link up to go to the online store eg "/acatalog/shop.html", then Internet Explorer is assuming there is a file there on the following location:

"file:///C:/Program%20Files/Actinic%20v7/Sites/Site1/PreviewHTML/acatalog/shop.html"

Which there isn't, so a page not found will result in 404.

Kind Regards