Registry, Regedit

I have done an application where you will have to enter a Username and a password in order to enter the program...

So a panel with 2 textboxes is promted for this.

Now when you have entered the correct user and password, I dont want this panel to promt anymore, so I have heard about that I should work with the registry in order to do this. To somehow write to the registry and then check the registry everytime the application starts if the the user and password exists there etc...

More than this I dont know.

So what I wonder is what the correct way is to do this. I have never made any call write/read to the registry so I am new to this part.

I would be very happy for a beginning assistance on this part.
The first thing should be that if the correct user and password is written, I would write something to the registry ?

Thank You...

Another, perhaps simpler option is to use an ini or configuration file which I believe should be stored in Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/.. folder (search MSDN to find out how to know what this folder is called).

I must ask here before checking up because I have thought about something simular but as the path is for example:
C:\\Documents and Settings\\username\\Application Data\\..

There will be a problem if one computer uses D:\\ and another R:\\ etc... I would never know where the system is installed.

However when googling I did find this wich looks very interesting about the "Registry".
It is shown how to "Creating a New Registry Key and Value". Perheps this could be a way to do it.
The "Registry" is always the "Registry" and you does not need to know about any path if I have understood it right and makes it more portable ?

http://www.codeguru.com/columns/dotn...9#createRegKey

I have tried to follow an example to "Create a New Registry Key and Value".
This code compiles and when running the code, it adds a "My Product" like this:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\My Product

Code:

---

RegistryKey^ currentUser;
RegistryKey^ softwareKey;

        try
        {
        RegistryKey^ currentUser = Microsoft::Win32::Registry::CurrentUser;
        RegistryKey^ softwareKey = Microsoft::Win32::Registry::CurrentUser->CreateSubKey("Software\\My Product");

        softwareKey->SetValue("Description", "Description of my product");
        softwareKey->SetValue("Version", "1.42");

        }
                catch(Exception^ ex)
                {
                        MessageBox::Show(ex->Message);
                }
                __finally
                {
                        if(softwareKey) softwareKey->Close();
                        if(currentUser) currentUser->Close();
                }

---

For this line:

Code:

---

softwareKey->SetValue("Description", "Description of my product");

---

How would it be possible to get the string for the first argument: "Description"

How would it be possible to call this with syntax, ex: softwareKey->GetValue etc...
If I can do this too, I beleive I have created a good way to do this as "Description" in Regedit is ReadOnly ?

Thank you

What is the point of a password if you don't have to enter it?

yes.it's main purpose is make your information secure right?

Quote:

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What is the point of a password if you don't have to enter it?

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Don't you let your browser remember passwords for you? As long as my computer is safe the password keeps my data inaccessible from elsewhere while not getting in my way. (BTW, where and how do they store the passwords? It might be a good idea to do it in a similar way.)

If the data is only accessible from my computer anyway a password that won't be asked has less purpose. What you might want instead is make it optional whether the password will be asked or not, so the user can decide how much security they like.

Quote:

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I must ask here before checking up because I have thought about something simular but as the path is for example:
C:\\Documents and Settings\\username\\Application Data\\..

There will be a problem if one computer uses D:\\ and another R:\\ etc... I would never know where the system is installed.

---

There should be functions to find out the names of such special directories, after all applications do use them.

I think that your first suggestion for me is the moste interesting one after all where the portability will work for "all" systems.

To create an encrypted file out of user/password.
If I assume for the first step to save this encrypted file to C:\\

How do you go about create an encrypted file out of this information. I dont know how this is done really. I suppose the user/password is encrypted but C++ can also decrypt the file to see that the user/password is correct.

I don't really understand what you're trying to do, but perhaps this code for Encrypting and Decrypting Registry Data using Microsoft's DPAPI (Data Protection API) might be helpful?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by anon

There should be functions to find out the names of such special directories, after all applications do use them.

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System::Environment::GetFolderPath()

Ok!

I use XP Proffessional and I have tried this code out:

Code:

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System::Environment::GetFolderPath(Environment::SpecialFolder::System)

---

This gives me: "C:\WINDOWS\system32"

The very important question here because I have to know about the portability of this command
regarding the systems below.

Will this command also work for the systems below if the code is running on them ?

XP Proffessional
XP Home Edition
Windows Vista
Windows 98
Windows ME
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows server 2003

Why not ask Microsoft?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MSDN

Platforms
Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360

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I am not sure if this is very easy to ask them, if they have any support for this regarding programming like a forum ?
I can only find support and contact us but they should only be for products itself etc... but
are not sure.

Perheps however I can ask them..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by franse

I am not sure if this is very easy to ask them, if they have any support for this regarding programming like a forum ?
I can only find support and contact us but they should only be for products itself etc... but
are not sure.

Perheps however I can ask them..

---

I think what tabstop was trying to say is that you don't have to "ask" as much as simply read their documentation of the function. google for "msdn getfolderpath".
The first link that comes up is this:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...olderpath.aspx

Around two thirds down the page is a heading called "Platforms", and it lists the OS's that support this particular function.

--
Mats

Also, you don't want to put it in System! You want in the Local Application Data folder.

Yes, that was the page I found before when writing the GetFolderPath() but I did miss all the platforms.
That really gave me the answer and I can there see what OS that supports SpecialFolder etc...

This syntax is really very handy ! A new discovery for today..

Thank you very much for help !!!

Okay what would be the difference to have it in the System and Local Application Data folder ?
However the Local Application Data folder works fine.

Then I suppose I would write it like this:

Code:

---

System::Environment::GetFolderPath(Environment::SpecialFolder::LocalApplicationData);

---

LocalApplicationData is per user - there is only one SYSTEM. So if you want the logged in user to have his/her own data, then application data is better.

Besides that, either is fine, I suppse - although I don't like apps that put their own data in SYSTEM directory, it should just be stuff that gets installed in that region - that way, you don't have to search through it to find data-files that you need to back up before re-installing the OS, etc.

--
Mats

Wouldn't System folder be protected against writing without administrator rights anyway?

Exactly, anon, and it's expected that one keeps their data files with their own application.

That was great to know and follow your discussion...
I would really keep such information in the Local Application Data folder to it correctly and to be
on the safe side at the same time.