Multiple Users Info 1.0.1

Copyright © 1999 by Public Access Software <http://www.pasoftware.com/>

Overview

"Multiple Users Info" is a simple Scripting Additions that will provide basic info about the Muliple Users feature of Mac OS 9.0. An AppleScript, or any application capable of accessing Scripting Additions, can determine if Multiple Users is active and if so determine the type of account currently logged in (if any) and also the name of the account.

The results returned by Multiple Users Info are text so they can be easily incorporated into larger blocks of text or dialogs/windows shown to the user. No conversion or comparisons are required (don't you hate that).

Usage

You must be using Mac OS 9.0 and have installed the Multiple Users components to make use of "Multiple Users Info". In some cases if you are using the "Macintosh Manager" component of Mac OS X Server you may end up getting some info similar to Multiple Users. This is not the intended function of this software, please refrain from using it on Macintosh Manager-enabled computers.

Drop the "Multiple Users Info" file onto the System folder, it will be routed to the proper place if you click on the Okay button.

You will not need to reboot the computer unless you are replacing an existing copy.

Currently there are four different commands you can use:

get current user name: Returns the currently logged in user's name.
get current user name
Result: string -- the current user's name

get current user type: Returns the type of account the current user has.
get current user type
Result: string -- the type of account

multiple users active: Returns true if multiple users is turned on for this computer.
multiple users active
Result: boolean -- true if active, false if not

multiple users installed: Check to see if Multiple Users is installed only.
multiple users installed
Result: boolean -- true if installed, false if not

The get current user name command will do exatly that, get the name of the currently logged in account. If no one is logged in then the user name will be "Login" which indicates the Login window is showing.

The get current user type command will be the same as that listed in the Login window or Multiple Users control panel. For the Owner the type will be "Owner" obviously. The normal user account will be "Normal", the limited account will be "Limited" and the Panels account will be "Panels". Again if no one is logged in the current user type will be "Login" to indicate that the Login window is showing.

Since it is most likely that the results of these commands will be used for logging or possible some type of display they are all formatted as text. You can easily insert the results into larger blocks of text or display them in a dialog window as needed without further conversion or handling.

The multiple users active command will be either true if Multiple Users is active or false if it is not turned on. Since you won't be able to determine current user name or type with Multiple Users installed but not active you should use this to check its status first.

The multiple users installed command will be either true if Multiple Users is installed or false if it is not. Since you won't be able to determine current user name or type without Multiple Users installed you should use this to check its status first.

You should always check to see if Multiple Uses is active before using other commands. If you don't and Multiple Users is not active then you will receive an "Event not handled" error each time you use a command.

The Future

I am considering making a list of data that will be returned from a single command that can be taken apart and examined later. This would only have the advantage of requiring a single command in a script reducing the back-and-forth exchange required now.

Also the Macintosh Manager component of Mac OS X Server provides similar functionality as Multiple Users. This scripting addition may be expanded to cover Mac Manager as well since they have so much in common.

I may or may not do this; this scripting addition is just a little side project among many "paying" projects I have underway. We shall see.

Legal

Multiple Users Info and its respective source code is copyright © 1999 by Public Access Software. Modification of any "Multiple Users Info" scripting addition without authorization is a violation of applicable copyright laws in the United States and other countries.

This software is distributed AS IS with no warranty either expressed or implied from Public Access Software that "Multiple Users Info" will function correctly and as intended on a users computer system.


Original file name: Read Me! - converted on Thursday, 2 December 1999, 18:11

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