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Application service module that facilitates authentication into the API.

Syntax

Code Block
Response = HTTP_Authentication_Services(Service, Param1, Param2, Param3, Param4, Param5, Param6, Param7, Param8, Param9, Param10)

Returns

The meaning of the response value depends on the service.

Parameters

ParameterDescription
ServiceThe name of the service being requested. Required.
Param1 - Param10Generic parameters.

Remarks

As noted more than once, HTTP_Authentication_Services is the core routine  is an application service module that handles authentication into the API. By default this service is automatically called within the HTTP_MCP controller routine. It is recommended that this be left in place. If the developer wishes to disable authentication (either temporarily for testing purposes or permanently), it is better to set the Enable Authentication Flag to 0 in the SRP_HTTP_FRAMEWORK_SETUP configuration record.

Authentication However, authentication is different from authorization (even though though HTTP Basic Authentication uses the  uses the Authorization request  request header field) and this is important when building access to the API. Authentication normally means the user’s credentials are valid. However, this does not guarantee that the user has sufficient privileges to access (or modify) the requested resource. This is where authorization comes in. Failure in authentication or authorization can both return a 401 (Unauthorized) status code, but a failed authorization might return a 403 (Forbidden) status code. Web service code that easily retrieve the authentication credentials to make authorization decisions.

Services

ServiceDescription
AuthenticateRequest

Usage:
HTTP_Authentication_Services('AuthenticateRequest')

Comments:
Returns a boolean value indicating the success of the authentication attempt. Default method is built around HTTP Basic Authentication.

Returns:
A boolean value indicating the success of the authentication attempt.

 CleanUp

Usage:
HTTP_Authentication_Services('CleanUp')

Comments:
Runs any clean up processes as needed to prepare the engine for the next request.

Returns:
N/A

Param1 - Param10

The proper use of the generic arguments are defined in the definition of each service above.