Using multiple authentication modes in a single ASP.NET application

Summary

ASP.NET only allows a single authentication mode to be configured for each application. Some applications may require different modes for different paths. For example, if an application uses Forms authentication for users of the public site, and Windows authentication for users of the administration site.

Resolution

One solution is to create two separate applications; one for the public site using Forms authentication, and one for the administration site using Windows authentication. However, this will mean that resources in the public application cannot be accessed from the administration application using app-relative paths (e.g. /images/logo.jpg).

A better solution is to use the global.asax file to handle theFormsAuthentication_OnAuthenticate event, and apply Windows authentication where appropriate.

1. In IIS, open the properties of the administration folder;
    
2. Under "Directory Security", edit the anonymous access and authentication settings, and disable anonymous access;
    
3. Edit the web.config file, and configure the application to use Forms authentication;
    
4. Add the following code to the global.asax file in the root of the application:

<%@ Application Language="C#" %>

<%@ Import Namespace="System.Security.Principal" %>

<%@ Import Namespace="System.Web" %>

<%@ Import Namespace="System.Web.Security" %>

 

<script runat="server">

 

public void FormsAuthentication_OnAuthenticate(object sender, FormsAuthenticationEventArgs e)

{

    if (null == e) throw new ArgumentNullException("e");

     

    // Check that we have a Windows user

    WindowsIdentity winUser = e.Context.Request.LogonUserIdentity;

    if (null == winUser) return;

     

    // Check that the path allows Windows authentication

    string path = VirtualPathUtility.ToAppRelative(e.Context.Request.Path);

    if (!IsWindowsAuthenticated(path, e.Context)) return;

     

    // Don't allow guest accounts to access

    if (winUser.IsAnonymous || winUser.IsGuest || winUser.IsSystem) return;

     

    WindowsPrincipal winPrincipal = new WindowsPrincipal(winUser);

    if (winPrincipal.IsInRole("Guests")) return;

     

    e.User = winPrincipal;

}

 

private static bool IsWindowsAuthenticated(string path, HttpContext context)

{

    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(path)) throw new ArgumentNullException("path");

    if (null == context) throw new ArgumentNullException("context");

     

    // Check that the path starts with the restricted folder:

    if (path.StartsWith("/restricted/", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) return true;

     

    return false;

}

 

</script>

      5. Requests to the administration folder will now use Windows authentication; the rest of the site will continue to use Forms authentication

WCF vs Web service

WCF is a programming model and API. "WCF Service" implies an app that uses such programming model.

"Web Service" is an app that exposes an HTTP (REST (XML or JSON), SOAP or otherwise) interface.

You can build a Web service using WCF, but you can also build a Web service using other APIs or "stacks". Like PHP or Java, for example.

With WCF you can build web services but you can also build services that are not, "Webbish". For example you can build a service that accepts incoming binary requests over only a local pipe interface. It is still a service, but it is not a "web service" because it is not using web protocols (generally HTTP and XML).

Bulk Insert using GridView and Sql Server XML

Download source and store procedure script from here.


private void InsertEmptyRow()
{
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
DataRow dr = null;


dt.Columns.Add(new DataColumn("CustName", typeof(string)));
dt.Columns.Add(new DataColumn("CustPosition", typeof(string)));
dt.Columns.Add(new DataColumn("CustCity", typeof(string)));
dt.Columns.Add(new DataColumn("CustState", typeof(string)));


for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
     {
          dr = dt.NewRow(); dr["CustName"] = string.Empty;
          dr["CustPosition"] = string.Empty;
          dr["CustCity"] = string.Empty;
          dr["CustState"] = string.Empty; dt.Rows.Add(dr);
    }
   gvCustomer.DataSource = dt; gvCustomer.DataBind();
}



 As, you see above code I am creating five empty rows initially which is empty. This method I am calling at page load event. Note :- I am creating only five empty rows, you can create as much required for your bulk insert according to your requirement And one more difference between, Bulk update and bulk insert is that as we fetch all records for bulk update, so we don’t have empty rows, but in insert we have five empty rows. One more thing, Suppose we insert three rows and two rows empty what would happen ?. For that I am checking if name field is empty or not, else don’t insert.

 StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); sb.Append("");
for (int i = 0; i < gvCustomer.Rows.Count; i++) 
      { 
      TextBox txtName = gvCustomer.Rows[i].FindControl("txtName") as TextBox; 
      TextBox txtPosition = gvCustomer.Rows[i].FindControl("txtPosition") as TextBox; 
      TextBox txtCity = gvCustomer.Rows[i].FindControl("txtCity") as TextBox;
      TextBox txtState = gvCustomer.Rows[i].FindControl("txtState") as TextBox;
      if(txtName.Text.Length != 0)
           sb.Append("");
}
sb.Append("");


As you see, I am checking txtName if length is more then zero then insert record else skip it. As other insert detail is simple.


string conStr = WebConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["BlogConnectionString"].ConnectionString;
SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(conStr);
SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("InsertCustomer", con);
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@XMLCustomer", sb.ToString());


try
{
using (con)
{
con.Open();
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
}

lblError.Text = "Record(s) Inserted successfully";
lblError.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Green;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
lblError.Text = "Error Occured";
lblError.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;
}


Store procedure also simple, just direct insert from XML structure what it consist, this is also difference between bulk update as in which we check in where condition of customer id matches or not


set ANSI_NULLS ON
set QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
go


CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[InsertCustomer]
(
@XMLCustomer XML
)
AS
BEGIN


INSERT INTO CUSTOMER
(CustName,CustPosition,CustCity,CustState)
SELECT
TempCustomer.Item.value('@Name', 'VARCHAR(50)'),
TempCustomer.Item.value('@Position', 'VARCHAR(50)'),
TempCustomer.Item.value('@City', 'VARCHAR(50)'),
TempCustomer.Item.value('@State', 'VARCHAR(50)')
FROM @XMLCustomer.nodes('/root/row') AS TempCustomer(Item)


RETURN 0
END


Note :- In bulk update, we are passing customer id also, here its not required as it is auto increment.

I hope you like this article about how to insert bulk records at a time. Like to have a feedback on this article.


Original article :- http://weblogs.asp.net/manojkdotnet/archive/2010/01/26/bulk-insert-using-gridview-and-sql-server-xml.aspx

Fetching Mobile Operator Name in Windows 7.1 Phone [Mango]

In this quick post I will show you

how to fetch the mobile operator's name in Windows 7.1 Phone.

Design the page

In the content Grid, I have put a button. On the click event of the button, in a message box the Mobile Operator Name we will be displayed:


Write Code Behind

Add the namespace:


On the click event of the button we will fetch the operator name. Operator name can be fetched by:



Using the CellularMobileOperator() function of DeviceNetworkInformation. After fetching, you can convert it to a string.

For your reference the source code is as below:

MainPage.Xaml.cs

using System.Windows;
using Microsoft.Phone.Controls;
using Microsoft.Phone.Net.NetworkInformation;


namespace MobileOperatorName
{
    public partial class MainPage : PhoneApplicationPage
    {

        public MainPage()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            btnMobileOpeartor.Click += new RoutedEventHandler(btnMobileOpeartor_Click);
        }

        void btnMobileOpeartor_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            string operatorName = "Mobile Opeartor : ";
            operatorName = operatorName + DeviceNetworkInformation.CellularMobileOperator.ToString();
            MessageBox.Show(operatorName);
        }
    }
}

Running the Application

Press F5 to run the application.



I hope this post was useful. Thanks for reading.