How to access UserId in ASP.NET Membership without using Membership.GetUser() ?

Question

Hello!

How can I access UserId in ASP.NET Membership without using Membership.GetUser(username) in ASP.NET Web Application Project ?

Can UserId be included in Profile namespace next to UserName (System.Web.Profile.ProfileBase).

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Is your reason for this to save a database call everytime you need the UserId? If so, when I'm using the ASP.NET MembershipProvider, I usually either do a custom provider that allows me to cache that call, or a utility method that I can cache.

If you're thinking of putting it in the Profile, I don't see much reason for doing so, especially as it also will still require a database call and unless you are using a custom profile provider there, it has the added processing of parsing out the UserId.

If you're wondering why they did not implement a GetUserId method, it's simply because you're not always guaranteed that that user id will be a GUID as in the included provider.

EDIT:

See ScottGu's article on providers which provides a link to downloading the actual source code for i.e. SqlMembershipProvider.

But the simplest thing to do really is a GetUserId() method in your user object, or utility class, where you get the UserId from cache/session if there, otherwise hit the database, cache it by username (or store in session), and return it.

For something more to consider (but be very careful because of cookie size restrictions): Forms Auth: Membership, Roles and Profile with no Providers and no Session

Answer 2

This is exactly my reason. I dont want to call to DB when I need UserId. I just woke up and I had idea to put UserId with other user params in Session during logging in/changing profile.

EDIT: Is there any chance that You can post Your sample custom profiler with mentioned utility method?

Answer 3

You have two options here:

1) Use username as the primary key for your user data table i.e:

select * from [dbo.User] where Username = 'andrew.myhre'

2) Add UserID to the profile.

There are pros and cons to each method. Personally I prefer the first, because it means I don't necessarily need to set up the out-of-the-box profile provider, and I prefer to enforce unique usernames in my systems anyway.

Answer 4

Andrew: I'd be careful of doing a query like what you've shown as by default, there's no index that matches with that so you run the risk of a full table scan. Moreover, if you're using your users database for more than one application, you haven't included the application id.

The closest index is aspnet_Users_Index which requires the ApplicationId and LoweredUserName.

EDIT:

Oops - reread Andrew's post and he's not doing a select * on the aspnet_Users table, but rather, a custom profile/user table using the username as the primary key.

Answer 5

I didn't know that it makes a call every time to the database. I thought it would be stored in session. Wow, that has to be a flaw.

Anyone know why they didn't store it in the session?

Answer 6

Have you tried using System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name? (Make sure to verify that User and Identity are non-null first.)

Answer 7

I decided to write authentication of users users on my own (very simple but it works) and I should done this long time ago.

My oryginal question was about UserId and it is not available from:

System.Web.HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name

Answer 8

{ MembershipUser m = Membership.GetUser(); Response.Write("ID: " + m.ProviderUserKey.ToString()); }

Will give you the UserID (uniqueidentifier) for the current user from the aspnet_Membership table - providing the current has successfully logged in. If you try to <%= %> or assign that value before a successful authentication you will get the error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object".

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1169200&amp;page=1

Answer 9

Hi,

Try This MembershipUser CurrentUser = Membership.GetUser(User.Identity.Name); Response.Write("CurrentUser ID :: " + CurrentUser.ProviderUserKey);

Answer 10

Thanks Sandeep Kumar. its working.