[development] Rules action to impersonate a user

[Michael Moritz]

Hi 

I got inspired by this and created a very basic module to have these actions 
available in Rules http://drupal.org/project/rules_switch_user

What do you think?

Regards,

mimo

On Tuesday 22 Jan 2013 15:00:38 Lluís Forns wrote:
> Ok.
> 
> Till now I have created a pair of actions; one which I call at the start of
> my rule to impersonate "node changing user", and one at last to change
> back. Using this I can call scheduled rules with the user who triggered
> them. It is all I need to the moment, so I will stop looking further into
> batching actions (limited time).
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> 
> 2013/1/21 Earnie Boyd <earnie at users.sourceforge.net>
> 
> > drupal_static() is not equivalent to PHP static.  The example you've
> > given is using PHP static and yes, it will not be available in another
> > function.
> > 
> > 
> > http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes%21bootstrap.inc/function/drupal_
> > static/7> 
> > On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 11:21 AM, Lluís Forns <enboig at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I know we are going OT, but I also want to understand this;
> > > 
> > > what about:
> > > 
> > > 
> > > function mymodule_complex_calculation() {
> > > 
> > >   static $cache;
> > >   if (isset($cache)) {
> > >   
> > >     return $cache;
> > >   
> > >   }
> > >   // Otherwise we need to perform our calculations
> > >   // ...some complex calculation that returns
> > >   $cache = complex_calculation();
> > >   return $cache;
> > > 
> > > }
> > 
> > http://techblog.zabuchy.net/2011/enhancing-drupal-performance-with-drupal_
> > static/> 
> > > You are saying that if I instantiate a variable in
> > 
> > "mymodule_impersonate()"
> > 
> > > it will not be available in "mymodule_unimpersonate()"?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 2013/1/21 Earnie Boyd <earnie at users.sourceforge.net>
> > > 
> > >> You "think" wrongly.  A static variable has local scope to the
> > >> function declaring the static variable.
> > >> 
> > >> On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 11:03 AM, Lluís Forns <enboig at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> > I think static are also available to other functions, use them to
> > 
> > store
> > 
> > >> > cached information across my code and they work.
> > >> > 
> > >> > 
> > >> > 2013/1/21 Darren Oh <darrenoh at sidepotsinternational.com>
> > >> > 
> > >> >> Static variables are only saved for a single function. Global
> > 
> > variables
> > 
> > >> >> are available to all functions during a single page request. Session
> > >> >> variables are available to all page requests during a session.
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> On Jan 21, 2013, at 10:08 AM, Lluís Forns wrote:
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> Darren, thanks for the link. What is the difference between using
> > >> >> global
> > >> >> or static to save the data?
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> 2013/1/21 Lluís Forns <enboig at gmail.com>
> > >> >> 
> > >> >>> My code was from a module where impersonation recursively could
> > >> >>> happen,
> > >> >>> this is why I use a stack to save user state. I am also saving it
> > >> >>> to
> > >> >>> session
> > >> >>> and not using a static variable because I may uses batch functions.
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>> But I see some problems right now:
> > >> >>> - To be safe impersonation should be saved into static variables
> > 
> > (and
> > 
> > >> >>> "using session_save_session(FALSE);" ), so if anything goes wrong,
> > >> >>> $user is
> > >> >>> not afected.
> > >> >>> - If I want to be able to execute every Rules action in a batch, I
> > >> >>> need
> > >> >>> to change user "per action"
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>> Any idea of how to "inject" code before and after a rule action?
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>> 2013/1/21 Walt Daniels <wdlists at gmail.com>
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>>> We do the latter simple trick in our store code so we can show
> > 
> > people
> > 
> > >> >>>> the member prices. We have a dummy id that is a member so we
> > >> >>>> switch
> > >> >>>> to it,
> > >> >>>> pick up the price and use it so we can show both member and
> > >> >>>> non-member
> > >> >>>> prices on the screen.
> > >> >>>> 
> > >> >>>> 
> > >> >>>> On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 9:18 AM, Christian López Espínola
> > >> >>>> 
> > >> >>>> <penyaskito at computer.org> wrote:
> > >> >>>>> Haven't tested your code, but maybe you want to take a look at
> > 
> > >> >>>>> masquerade_switch_user and masquerade_switch_back:
> > http://drupalcode.org/project/masquerade.git/blob/HEAD:/masquerade.module.
> > 
> > >> >>>>> And if the impersonation is only for the given request, maybe
> > >> >>>>> just
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>  global $user;
> > >> >>>>>  $previous = $user;
> > >> >>>>>  $user = user_load($uid);
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> // Do your stuff.
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>  $user = $previous;
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> would work.
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 10:37 AM, Lluís Forns <enboig at gmail.com>
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> wrote:
> > >> >>>>>> Some of my scheduled task needs to run as the user who triggered
> > >> >>>>>> them
> > >> >>>>>> (not anonymous neither admin); so I thought of writing two
> > 
> > actions:
> > >> >>>>>> - One to impersonate a user, which will receive uid as an
> > 
> > argument.
> > 
> > >> >>>>>> - Another to undo the impersonate.
> > >> >>>>>> All the called actions should be between them.
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> Anybody see any fault in this idea or the actions code?
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> Thanks.
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> function wu_action_impersonate($uid) {
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>>   global $user;
> > >> >>>>>>   if (!array_key_exists('wu_action_impersonate', $_SESSION)) {
> > >> >>>>>>   
> > >> >>>>>>     $_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate'] = array();
> > >> >>>>>>   
> > >> >>>>>>   }
> > >> >>>>>>   array_push($_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate'], $user);
> > >> >>>>>>   session_save_session(FALSE);
> > >> >>>>>>   $user = user_load($uid);
> > >> >>>>>>   user_load($uid);
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> }
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> function wu_action_unimpersonate() {
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>>   global $user;
> > >> >>>>>>   if (array_key_exists('wu_action_impersonate', $_SESSION)) {
> > >> >>>>>>   
> > >> >>>>>>     if (!empty($_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate'])) {
> > >> >>>>>>     
> > >> >>>>>>       $user = array_pop($_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate']);
> > >> >>>>>>     
> > >> >>>>>>     }
> > >> >>>>>>     if (empty($_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate'])) {
> > >> >>>>>>     
> > >> >>>>>>       unset($_SESSION['wu_action_impersonate']);
> > >> >>>>>>     
> > >> >>>>>>     }
> > >> >>>>>>   
> > >> >>>>>>   }
> > >> >>>>>>   session_save_session(TRUE);
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> }
> > >> >>>>>> 
> > >> >>>>>> --
> > >> >>>>>> *Ser freak no és imprescindible per ser informàtic, però ajuda.
> > >> >>>>>> *La vida no ha de ser feliç, ha de ser plena.
> > >> >>>>>> *Abans d'imprimir aquest missatge, pensa en el medi ambient.
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> --
> > >> >>>>> Cheers,
> > >> >>>>> 
> > >> >>>>> Christian López Espínola <penyaskito AT computer DOT org>
> > >> >>>>> http://twitter.com/penyaskito | http://penyaskito.com
> > >> >>> 
> > >> >>> --
> > >> >>> *Ser freak no és imprescindible per ser informàtic, però ajuda.
> > >> >>> *La vida no ha de ser feliç, ha de ser plena.
> > >> >>> *Abans d'imprimir aquest missatge, pensa en el medi ambient.
> > >> >> 
> > >> >> --
> > >> >> *Ser freak no és imprescindible per ser informàtic, però ajuda.
> > >> >> *La vida no ha de ser feliç, ha de ser plena.
> > >> >> *Abans d'imprimir aquest missatge, pensa en el medi ambient.
> > >> > 
> > >> > --
> > >> > *Ser freak no és imprescindible per ser informàtic, però ajuda.
> > >> > *La vida no ha de ser feliç, ha de ser plena.
> > >> > *Abans d'imprimir aquest missatge, pensa en el medi ambient.
> > >> 
> > >> --
> > >> Earnie
> > >> -- https://sites.google.com/site/earnieboyd
> > > 
> > > --
> > > *Ser freak no és imprescindible per ser informàtic, però ajuda.
> > > *La vida no ha de ser feliç, ha de ser plena.
> > > *Abans d'imprimir aquest missatge, pensa en el medi ambient.
> > 
> > --
> > Earnie
> > -- https://sites.google.com/site/earnieboyd