SecurityAssist: Authenticate User - no connection available even though one is defined?

I am trying to create a MySQLi login for my site and have connected to my database succssfully, having created a MySQLi database connection. As I undersand it SecurityAssist is compatible with MySQLi now.

Problem is, when I go to Server Behaviours > WebAssist > SecurityAssist > Authenticate User there is no database connection available even though one is defined and we're connecting succssfully.

Is there a compatibility issue here?

Hope you can help. Thank you.
NJ

Yes, SecurityAssist has not been updated to work with MySQLi. You would need a regular MySQL connection to work with Data Bridge server behaviors.

:(

I forget how long ago it was we were told that it was "very important" to upgrade to MySQLi. I also forget how long ago it was when we were all promised the upgraded compatibility with MySQLi.

Can I ask what this line relates to though, in the DataBridge 1.2.0 Release notes:

"Updated for compatibility with MySQLi Server Behaviors. (Note: The update was for stability in Dreamweaver only. Data Bridge will be updated to use MySQLi in a future release.)"

We've been very patient on this. When will it happen Ray?
Thank you.
NJ

Unfortunately I don't have a release date that I can promise. We are working on it and will try to get it out as soon as possible. We certainly want it done as much as anybody.

Whilst you can't promise a release date, you have all been promising that this will happen "soon" or "in the near future" and some of us reacted to that and purchased your MySQLi server behaviour. Turns out you've been nowhere near it, and still sound nowhere near it despite these promises. That has simply been misleading.

I'm then in support sessions with you where you've completely dismissed Dreamweaver's default User Authentication behaviours (as "totally suck")...yet we've no option but to keep using them and then having to come to you for support because they don't integrate with the WebAssist stuff. It's hugely demoralising and it's doubling our workload because we'll have to re-write a lot of this once you do finally come good on years of promises.

What is the position with MySQLi vs MySQL - is this as important as you've led us to believe in the past? Like here for example... http://www.webassist.com/product/mysqli

Hoping for something more concrete at this stage.
Thank you.
NJ

The version of authentication we included with MySQLi is a great improvement over the default user Authentication and will be the basis for the Data Bridge version of Security Assist when released. It definitely does not "totally suck" although I feel uncomfortable with that term in general.

MySQL is deprecated and will eventually be removed from PHP. I would say it is important to start migrating as soon as possible to prepare for that, but realistically that date is several years from being an issue for anyone... Let's say a version of php 6 comes out tomorrow and drops support for MySQL. It would be years before hosts updated their servers to use php 6 by default, and many more years before a php 5 version of the server wasn't available. PHP 5 came out about 10 years ago, but just about every major hosting company allows you to choose between php 4 or 5 when setting up your server, and many of them still use php 4 as the default.

So, the clock is running, but it really isn't a ticking time bomb for using MySQLi. The better reason for using MySQLi is how much cleaner the code is, how much more efficient it is to read, write, and run, and all of the work we are putting in to make it work so much better than the original Dreamweaver MySQL option.

I wouldn't say that it is "so important" to upgrade now that you shouldn't be creating sites with MySQL or that there is any risk in doing so at all. I'd say it is important to start familiarizing yourself with MySQLi and understand that it is the future. The earlier that you can adopt to that, the better, but don't lose any sleep over continuing to use MySQL when necessary. Those sites will realistically work fine for the next decade or two as long as you are ok with not being an early adopter when the latest and greatest php version is released.

Fair enough. I guess it's all in how you perceive the wording here... http://www.webassist.com/product/mysqli

It's disappointing that we can only code some of our site with MySQLi though. Promises were made and they haven't been kept. That's my point really Ray.

Will go back to bed.
NJ

We are working hard on getting out the Data Bridge update. Time estimates may not have been achieved, but promises will be kept.