Scripting Part 2: Terminal Emulators and Web Scripting

Novell Cool Solutions: Feature

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 5 May 2005

Note: This article is based on BrainShare TUT248. For more information on scripting techniques, see TUT248 or the Cool Solutions article SecureLogin Scripting Techniques.

Emulator Types

There are four basic emulator types in scripting:

• Generic
• Advanced Generic
• HLLAPI
• DDE

These types are divided into two groups: Generic and Advanced, and HLLAPI and DDE.

Generic and Advanced Generic

The Generic and Advanced Generic emulators rely on "screen scrape," which means that they read the complete screen, cutting and pasting information. The drawbacks include screen flash, and the fact that the script must be stopped before the user can operate.

Screen scrape uses a repeat-loop mechanism that searches for password-related messages as well as for the first user menu. Password change within an application is not supported.

HLLAPI and DDE

HLLAPI stands for High Level Language Application Programming Interface. This interface was defined by IBM several decades ago to deal with terminal communications. DDE is Dynamic Data Exchange, a form of inter-process communication.

With HLLAPI and DDE, there is no screen scraping. Specific portions of the screen are read, such as the ReadText ?Variable Column Row. HLLAPI supports standard messages (IBM S/390) and removes screen blinking. Specific messages are handled as they occur, and password change is supported while the application is running (not possible with screen scrape).

Emulation Scripts

Here are some things to look for when building emulation scripts:

• Login
• Password - Failure or Expiry
• MOTD (Message of the Day) - Standard or Informational
• Partial Text

Example Emulation Script

WaitForText ?ogin:?
Type $Username
Type @E
WaitForText ?assword:?
Type $Password
Type @E

Example Emulation Script 2

WaitForText ?ogin:?
Type $Username
Type @E
WaitForText ?assword:?
Type $Password
Type @E
Repeat
# Check for failed login
Increment ?ScreenCount
If ?ScreenCount eq 1
  If -Text "ogin incorrect"
    Increment ?RunCount
    if ?RunCount eq 1
        DisplayVariables "Please re-enter your ID and Password?
        Type $Username
        Type @E
        Delay 500
        WaitForText "assword:"
        Type $Password
        Type @E
    Endif
  EndIf
  #Check for password expiry
  If -Text "New Password:"
    If ?PasswordChange eq 
        Set ?PasswordChange 1
        ChangePassword ?NewPassword "Your password must be changed."
        Type ?NewPassword
        Type @E
    Endif
  Endif
EndIf
  
If ?PasswordChange eq 1
    If -Text "e-enter new Password:"
            Type ?NewPassword
            Type @E
        Endif
    Endif
    If -Text "Press RETURN key to continue....."
        Type @E
    Endif
    If -Text "MENU"
        EndSplashScreen
        if ?PasswordChange eq 1
            Set $Password ?NewPassword
            Set ?NewPassword 
        endif
        Set ?PasswordChange 
        Set ?ScreenCount 
        break
    endif
    EndRepeat
    EndSplashScreen
    if ?PasswordChange eq 1
        Set $Password ?NewPassword
        Set ?NewPassword 
    endif
    Set ?PasswordChange 
    Set ?ScreenCount 
    break
endif
EndRepeat

Web Scripts

Simple Web Scripts

A simple Web script inserts the username and password. It uses Field Names, such as "Type $Username" or "Type $Password password". It can use an automatic mode (Submit) or a manual mode (user click).

However, there are a few issues with these simple scripts. For example, a login can be unnecessarily trigged after logging out. Web scripts may not be active on some pages, and the username and password may be inserted on the wrong pages. Also, password control usually only works when the password field is visible.

Intelligent Web Scripts

Intelligent Web scripts provide a more flexible solution. They enable the script to determine what to do, such as:

• Don't log in after logout
• Determine the page that is being viewed
• Determine if there a password field

Web applications consist of two key structural elements: address (unique URL or IP address), and a series of pages, each offering different data views and operations. To detect a page, SecureLogin generally does a combination of the following things:

• Check the URL
• Match for a page title
• Match for specific text within the HTML
• Look at the names of input fields within forms

SecureLogin can be told to handle the pages from a web site in two ways:

• Platform-per-page approach. Using this approach, each page that requires some action has its own SecureLogin platform. For example: http:\\127.0.0.1\login.html, or http:\\127.0.0.1\changepassword.html
• Platform-per-site approach. Alternatively, SecureLogin can monitor every page at a specific web site, with the script determining which page(s) to process, such as http:\\127.0.0.1

Generally, the second option is typically simpler, more robust and easier to maintain. Using the platform-per-site approach, the following basic structure is suggested:

if ?text ?page 1 unique text?
     commands
endif

if ?text ?page 2 unique text?
     commands
endif

Note: Make sure you deselect the "Password must exist" option. Otherwise, if the page you want to process doesn't have a password, nothing will happen! Using this approach, SecureLogin will run the script against each page on the web site.

Example Web Script

###########################################################
# Standard login window handling
if -text "PDS-SLD-Login" 
      type $Username #1
      type $Password #2
      submit
endif

###########################################################
# Password expiration handling
if -text "PDS-SLD-PasswordExpired
   messagebox "SecureLogin has detected that your password has expired       - it will be automatically reset"
   click #2
endif

###########################################################
# Password change handling
if -text "PDS-SLD-ChangePassword"
   Set ?oldpass $password
   OnException ChangePasswordCancelled Call UserCancelled
   ChangePassword $password random
   Type ?oldpass #1
   Type $password #2
   Type $password #3
   Submit
endif
Sub UserCancelled
   Messagebox "You cannot cancel the password change dialog box. Please change your password"
   OnException ChancePasswordCancelled Call UserCancelled
   ChangePassword $Password
   Type ?oldpass #1
   Type $password #2
   Type $password #3
   Submit
EndSub

###########################################################
# Locked account 
if -text "PDS-SLD-AccountLocked"
   messagebox "Sorry, your account has now been suspended for security reasons. Please contact the help desk."
   killapp "iexplore.exe"
   endscript
endif

###########################################################
# Incorrect credentials handling
if -text "PDS-SLD-BadCredentials"
   displayvariables "Sorry, but your password is not correct...Please enter your correct password"
   gotourl http:\\127.0.0.1\sld-htmllogin.html
   endscript
endif

###########################################################
# End of script
click #200

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