need advice re: notifying the user

[RickLiebespach]

I'm using VB.Net to make a WEB app.

I'm in the process of creating custom contact management software. The part I'm working on now is the reminders.
My users will create a future activity for themselves and a contact, and set it to remind them that it's time to deal with the activity. I'm collecting all the necessary information. What I need now is a way to pop-up a window with the current user's current and uncompleted reminders.

I think I have at least 3 questions (and for those of you who don't know me, I always have just one more question :> ).

My first question is, how do I make a new window/browser pop-up?

My second question is, how do I detect that I have a reminder to show?
- my boss wants me to run a server-side script or app that will check for due, and over-due, reminders
- another possibility is to tie the checking to a submit event or some other(?) Post event (are there various kinds?)
-is there another reasonable approach?

My third question is a spin off of the second question. Using my bosses approach of running a server-side script or app, how do I know that a user who needs a reminder is in the system...and how do I make the reminder window pop-up on His/Her machine?

Thanks for taking the time to teach me... or at least point me in the right direction...
(oh yeah, another question, is there an example I can mimic?)

Rick

Rick Liebespach

http://www.omniagroup.com

http://www.careermaze.com

 

[NoCoolHandle]

Starting with Number 3.
<snip>
[blue]using VB.Net to make a WEB app.[/blue]
</snip>
and
<snip>
[blue]how do I know that a user who needs a reminder is in the system...[/blue]
</snip>

You will need to have them log in to the web application..
Server side script has no clue who is connected unless you force some type of login mechinisim, once you know who, then you can search you reminders table and bring up a window....
There are several methods available to you. The easiest is redirect them to a login page (on an NTFS volume) that requires domain_users (and not the webserver proxy account) as the only group that can use the page.

This will then pop up a login window when someone goes to it. Then using the following code

Request.ServerVariables("AUTH_USER")

in any page that you user goes to at that point you will have "WHO logged in"

2. There is a great event in the Global.aspx page called the Session_OnStart. It will run code "The first time a user requests an aspx page in your site" here you could redirect them to the login page....

1. Popups arn't my thing, but you could add some code to a page via serverside scripting that brings up a a new blank window in the pages On_Load event. THere are some properties of the window object that allow you to remove all user interface... (probaly others can help here)

HTH


Rob