Easiest way to sense "actively using" (vs. "idle") in Web App

Targets Web
1

I’d like to ‘sense’ if a user is actually working in an open web page (web app), and if they’re idle for X amount of time send them back to login_page.Show()

What has the least overhead way for measuring active interaction(s) from a user, to see if they’ve abandoned the app/page?

2

What about the WebSession.UserTimeout property? When set, the WebSession.UserTimedOut Event will occur letting you know they’re idle.

2 Likes
3

Here’s a little thing I wrote - if you have an Admin WebPage, this code in a timer will update a textArea showing a list of the currently logged in users:

Sub Timer.Run() Handles Run
  var onlineUsers() as string
  var nSessions as integer = app.SessionCount
  for each s as session in app.Sessions
    onlineUsers.Append(s.Username + If(s.isDisconnected, "(x)", "") +  _
    + " " + format(s.lifetimeSeconds, "#") + " seconds " _
    + if(s.currentPage = nil, " - (no page)", " - " + s.CurrentPage.Name ) )
  next

  lSessionInfo.Value = str(nSessions) + " sessions : " + EndOfLine + string.FromArray(onlineUsers,EndOfLine)

End Sub

Where lifetimeSeconds is a function on the Session object:

Public Function lifetimeSeconds() As double
  // how many seconds has this session been alive
  dim d as double = system.Microseconds
  dim dt as double = d-createdMicroseconds
  dim t as double = dt/1.0e6 // convert to seconds
  return t
  
End Function

and createdMicroseconds is set in Session.Opening:

Sub Opening() Handles Opening
  createdMicroseconds = system.Microseconds
  
End Sub
4

Thanks @Tim_Parnell it really boiled down to (2) simple entries (thanks!):

// Put this in Session.Opening(): Self.UserTimeout = 60 'put a reasonable time here

// Put this in Session.UserTimedOut(): Self.login_page.Show() 'and do other log-out functions as well

5

I would replace Self.login_page.Show() with GotoURL(“/”) which will create a whole new session.

3 Likes
6

Just so everyone understands, if you want the user to stop consuming resources, you should either direct them away from the app to an html page with a link to come back or serve that page from HandleURL. Otherwise, the usertimeout code will run over and over every X seconds if the user walks away leaving your app open.

2 Likes
7

Thanks @Wayne_Golding and @Greg_O, good to know! I have a timer on the login page that does a redirect to a URL (away from the app), so if the user times out they can still log back in (and the state of the app and their data is still intact), or if like you said they walk away then it’s a final means of directing them away from the app and releasing resources. The best of both worlds!

1 Like