Hi Paul,

I enjoyed what you had to say about session variables. How about using the database connection handle to track a user. For example, when a user logs into a shopping cart app using a persistent connection, the database would issue a connection handle that would be needed for any subsequent inserts, updates, or deletes. The app could make an insert to a table that would track the connection. The following could be entered into the connection table:

connection handle issue by MS SQL as the unique identifier
user's account number
user's name
user's password

This would not create much additional system cost above what is already need to maintain the connection.

When the user select's an item to be added to a shopping cart, the app could grab the connection handle with some simple SQL. Once the app had the connection handle, it could look up the user's name, account number, etc.

Then the item could be inserted into a shopping cart table under the user's account number.

After the order has been submitted, a disconnect could be issued and the connection handle freed for the next user. Also, the record in the connection handle table could be deleted.

If a new user connection to the app and receives a connection handle that is already in the connection table, an update could be made to record the new user's account number, name, etc. If the connection table did not have the connection handle, an insert could be done to record the new user's info.

Would this be feasible?

LelandJ