User Group Access - My Forums

User Group Access

Alexus — Feb 11, 2013, 05:51 AM

I can't clearly understand user-groups-based access to boards.

After install I have "Forum Members" group that have access to all globally accessible boards. I've added here a "test" user (not admin user, now it is member of "Forum Members" group only).

My "test" user have access all over the forum.
Good, but I want to have some boards that will be accessible to selected user groups only.

First, I have created a new group "OXC":
give it one context "web" "Member - 9999" "Load, List and View"
and a "test" user as "Member - 9999" ("test" user now is member of "Forum Members" & "OXC" groups).

Question: Should I add second context "web" "Member - 9999" "Discuss Member Policy" to my "OXC" group? Seems that is not necessary, but I have to ask to be sure

Then, I have created a standard board "OXC members only".

As I understand there are two ways to edit access to boards:

#1. Components -> Discuss -> Boards -> "OXC members only" -> Edit Board -> User Group Access
And add here "OXC" group.

#2. Components -> Discuss -> User Groups -> "OXC" -> Update User Group -> Boards
And check here boards to access.

Adding "OXC" group to "OXC members only" board settings causes changes in "OXC"'s checked boards - (#1) causes changes of (#2).
But checking "OXC members only" board in "OXC" group settings not causes changes in "OXC members only" board settings - (#2) not causes changes of (#1).
And it not take effect at all - even after value have been saved, when update-user-group-page reloaded it takes value of board settings (#1), not its own new (allegedly "saved") value. Seems that mechanism (#2) is not working?..

Alright.. let's simply add a group to our board (#1). Save, clear the cache, flush permissions - new settings displays successfully on both pages. But "test" user still do not have access to "OXC members only" board. While Admin and Guest do have! Smiling through tears))) Exactly the opposite result)) What I'm doing wrong?

Re: User Group Access

BobRay — Aug 26, 2017, 04:28 PM

Try this:

$user->joinGroup('someGroup');
$user->loadAttributes($user, 'web', true);

The second argument is the context key. If empty, the current context will be used.

Re: User Group Access

snowrider — Aug 25, 2017, 06:40 AM

Hello. It seems that the problem has not been solved yet. When using method joinGroup(), the permissions in the session are not updated.
For example, a web user logged in at this time was added to the group by using a method call in the snippet, so that the changes take effect, it must be re-login.

How can I make the changes take effect without a web user relogin?

In general, the problem is the same as that of Alexus.
It seems to me that the issue (https://github.com/modxcms/revolution/issues/3860) is not solved correctly.

Re: User Group Access

Alexus — Feb 23, 2013, 02:19 AM

I strongly believe that jeaveGroup() and joinGroup() methods should also refresh user session (=permissions) without user relogin or performing any other actions.

I'm thinking about adding this issue to tracker.modx

splittingred, you're the one who fixed similar issue http://tracker.modx.com/issues/3860. I'll be glad to hear some words about my situation.

Re: User Group Access

BobRay — Feb 23, 2013, 01:12 AM

I could not find modx_user_attributes anywhere in the core code, so I'm going to guess no, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, congratulations on finding something that works.

Re: User Group Access

Alexus — Feb 22, 2013, 09:30 AM

Thanks for your participation, BobRay.
It works for the current user ("inquisitor", "admin" etc. - any I logged in), not for specified edited user ("test").
Or I am just don't know how to specify the user to which I want to apply these methods.

Also I tried:

$username = 'test';
$user = $modx->getObject('modUser', array('username' => $username));
$user->endSession();

But it ends the current user session! The "test" user remains logged-in.

That's why I use a custom sql query that terminates specified ("test") user session from modx_session table in DB - to logout "test" user:

$sql = "UPDATE modx_session INNER JOIN modx_user_attributes ON modx_user_attributes.sessionid = modx_session.id SET data = '' WHERE modx_user_attributes.id = 2"; // id of "test" user = 2
$q = $modx->prepare($sql);
$q->execute();

So the question remains open... Is there any internal modx methods to refresh specified user session? Or to end specified user session?

Re: User Group Access

BobRay — Feb 22, 2013, 01:38 AM

Here are some more things to try:

$modx->reloadConfig();

$modx->getUser();

$modx->getUser('', true);


$modx->reloadContext();

$modx->reloadContext('mgr');
$modx->reloadContext('web');

Re: User Group Access

Alexus — Feb 22, 2013, 12:06 AM

Actually I've tested that even in 3 browsers :
1) Modx manager with logged in as "admin". Here I can add/delete the "test" user to groups or just view the result of my front-end user-groups-manage page.
2) Front-end user-groups-manage page with logged in user "inquisitor" that have access to this page. Here I managing the groups of "test" user and also I can view the result by using:

$username = 'test';
$user = $modx->getObject('modUser', array('username' => $username));
print_r ($user->getUserGroupNames());                               // returns all groups including newly assigned
print_r ($_SESSION["modx.user.{$user->get('id')}.userGroupNames"]); // returns all groups including newly assigned

3) Logged in "test" user at any page with my snippet just to see the result:

print_r ($modx->user->getUserGroupNames()); // returns only old grops from session, without recently assigned groups
$id = $modx->getLoginUserID() ? (string) $modx->getLoginUserID() : '0';
print_r ($_SESSION["modx.user.{$id}.userGroupNames"]); // the same if I wanted to get groups from the session directly

I also tried what you say. When I'm adding

unset($_SESSION["modx.user.{$user->get('id')}.userGroupNames"]);

to 2) page I have no effect on 3) page after updating "test" user groups. Info about groups of "test" user on 2) page updates fine without adding that.

I should add

unset($_SESSION["modx.user.{$id}.userGroupNames"]);

to 3) page so the "test" user can refresh his groups by himself.

But this is not the way! Should I say to each managed user: "now go to that page or relogin to refresh your groups list"? I want to press only button on user-groups-manage page and specified user will be added to selected group AND his groups list will be refreshed. Without his relogin and even without any other his action.

Now I add to 2) page sql query that terminates "test" user session from modx_session table in DB. It logouts "test" user so he must login again. And of course his groups list updates successfully when he login again. This is rough way, so I'm trying to find out another.

P.S.: hope I'm clearly explaining on my imperfect English

Re: User Group Access

BobRay — Feb 21, 2013, 09:50 PM

Are you testing by previewing from the Manager (or in another window on the same browser)? That will make things ambiguous.

This should get you a fresh list, unless MODX is refreshing that $_SESSION variable from the cache on each request:

$id = $modx->getLoginUserID();
unset($_SESSION["modx.user.{$id}.userGroupNames"]);

Putting a snippet with this code on another page and forwarding to it after the above code runs might be informative:

$id = $modx->getLoginUserID();
if (isset(($_SESSION["modx.user.{$id}.userGroupNames"])) {
   return 'User Groups are set';
} else {
   return 'User Groups are NOT set'; 
}

Re: User Group Access

Alexus — Feb 21, 2013, 04:26 PM

What's interesting:

while logged in under any other user (different from the "test") I can get truthful information about "test" user:

$username = 'test';
$user = $modx->getObject('modUser', array('username' => $username));
print_r ($user->getUserGroupNames());                               // returns all groups including newly assigned
print_r ($_SESSION["modx.user.{$user->get('id')}.userGroupNames"]); // returns all groups including newly assigned

while logged in under the "test" user I use the same methods - getUserGroupNames() and $_SESSION[..]:

print_r ($modx->user->getUserGroupNames()); // returns only old grops from session, without recently assigned groups
$id = $modx->getLoginUserID() ? (string) $modx->getLoginUserID() : '0';
print_r ($_SESSION["modx.user.{$id}.userGroupNames"]); // the same if I wanted to get groups from the session directly

I need to logout and login under the "test" user to see updated groups.

Why results of using the same method are different?

Seems that Bug #3860 was fixed for the first case only.