FormsAuthentication Class
Manages forms-authentication services for Web applications. This class cannot be inherited.
Assembly: System.Web (in System.Web.dll)
The FormsAuthentication type exposes the following members.
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() | CookieDomain | Gets the value of the domain of the forms-authentication cookie. |
![]() ![]() | CookieMode | Gets a value that indicates whether the application is configured for cookieless forms authentication. |
![]() ![]() | CookiesSupported | Gets a value that indicates whether the application is configured to support cookieless forms authentication. |
![]() ![]() | DefaultUrl | Gets the URL that the FormsAuthentication class will redirect to if no redirect URL is specified. |
![]() ![]() | EnableCrossAppRedirects | Gets a value indicating whether authenticated users can be redirected to URLs in other Web applications. |
![]() ![]() | FormsCookieName | Gets the name of the cookie used to store the forms-authentication ticket. |
![]() ![]() | FormsCookiePath | Gets the path for the forms-authentication cookie. |
![]() ![]() | IsEnabled | Gets a value that indicates whether forms authentication is enabled. |
![]() ![]() | LoginUrl | Gets the URL for the login page that the FormsAuthentication class will redirect to. |
![]() ![]() | RequireSSL | Gets a value indicating whether the forms-authentication cookie requires SSL in order to be returned to the server. |
![]() ![]() | SlidingExpiration | Gets a value indicating whether sliding expiration is enabled. |
![]() ![]() | TicketCompatibilityMode | Gets the time-ticket compatibility mode that is specified in the configuration files. |
![]() ![]() | Timeout | Gets the time-out value, in minutes, that is specified in the configuration file. |
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() | Authenticate | Validates a user name and password against credentials stored in the configuration file for an application. |
![]() ![]() | Decrypt | Creates a FormsAuthenticationTicket object based on the encrypted forms-authentication ticket passed to the method. |
![]() ![]() | EnableFormsAuthentication | Enables forms authentication using the specified configuration data. |
![]() ![]() | Encrypt | Creates a string containing an encrypted forms-authentication ticket suitable for use in an HTTP cookie. |
![]() | Equals(Object) | Determines whether the specified Object is equal to the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() | Finalize | Allows an object to try to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before it is reclaimed by garbage collection. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() ![]() | GetAuthCookie(String, Boolean) | Creates an authentication cookie for a given user name. This does not set the cookie as part of the outgoing response, so that an application can have more control over how the cookie is issued. |
![]() ![]() | GetAuthCookie(String, Boolean, String) | Creates an authentication cookie for a given user name. This does not set the cookie as part of the outgoing response. |
![]() | GetHashCode | Serves as a hash function for a particular type. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() ![]() | GetRedirectUrl | Returns the redirect URL for the original request that caused the redirect to the login page. |
![]() | GetType | Gets the Type of the current instance. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() ![]() | HashPasswordForStoringInConfigFile | Produces a hash password suitable for storing in a configuration file based on the specified password and hash algorithm. |
![]() ![]() | Initialize | Initializes the FormsAuthentication object based on the configuration settings for the application. |
![]() | MemberwiseClone | Creates a shallow copy of the current Object. (Inherited from Object.) |
![]() ![]() | RedirectFromLoginPage(String, Boolean) | Redirects an authenticated user back to the originally requested URL or the default URL. |
![]() ![]() | RedirectFromLoginPage(String, Boolean, String) | Redirects an authenticated user back to the originally requested URL or the default URL using the specified cookie path for the forms-authentication cookie. |
![]() ![]() | RedirectToLoginPage() | Redirects the browser to the login URL. |
![]() ![]() | RedirectToLoginPage(String) | Redirects the browser to the login URL with the specified query string. |
![]() ![]() | RenewTicketIfOld | Conditionally updates the issue date and time and expiration date and time for a FormsAuthenticationTicket. |
![]() ![]() | SetAuthCookie(String, Boolean) | Creates an authentication ticket for the supplied user name and adds it to the cookies collection of the response, or to the URL if you are using cookieless authentication. |
![]() ![]() | SetAuthCookie(String, Boolean, String) | Creates an authentication ticket for the supplied user name and adds it to the cookies collection of the response, using the supplied cookie path, or using the URL if you are using cookieless authentication. |
![]() ![]() | SignOut | Removes the forms-authentication ticket from the browser. |
![]() | ToString | Returns a string that represents the current object. (Inherited from Object.) |
Forms authentication enables user and password validation for Web applications that do not require Windows authentication. With forms authentication, user information is stored in an external data source, such as a Membership database, or in the configuration file for an application. Once a user is authenticated, forms authentication maintains an authentication ticket in a cookie or in the URL so that an authenticated user does not need to supply credentials with each request.
Forms authentication is enabled by setting the mode attribute of the authentication configuration element to Forms. You can require that all requests to an application contain a valid user authentication ticket by using the authorization configuration element to deny the request of any unknown user, as shown in the following example.
<system.web>
<authentication mode="Forms">
<forms loginUrl="login.aspx" />
</authentication>
<authorization>
<deny users="?" />
</authorization>
</system.web>
In the previous example, any request for an ASP.NET page that is part of the application requires a valid user name that is supplied by forms authentication. If no user name exists, then the request is redirected to the configured LoginUrl.
The FormsAuthentication class provides access to methods and properties that you can use in an application that authenticates users. The RedirectToLoginPage method redirects a browser to the configured LoginUrl for users to log into an application. The RedirectFromLoginPage method redirects an authenticated user back to the original protected URL that was requested or to the DefaultUrl. There are also methods that enable you to manage forms-authentication tickets, if needed.
| Topic | Location |
|---|---|
| How to: Implement Simple Forms Authentication | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| How to: Use Advanced Features of the ASP.NET Login Control | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| How to: Create an ASP.NET Login Page | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| How to: Implement Simple Forms Authentication | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| How to: Use Advanced Features of the ASP.NET Login Control | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| How to: Create an ASP.NET Login Page | Building ASP .NET Web Applications |
| Walkthrough: Creating a Web Site with Membership and User Login (Visual Studio) | Building ASP .NET Web Applications in Visual Studio |
The following code example shows the Web.config file for an ASP.NET application that uses the ASP.NET membership provider for forms authentication and requires all users to be authenticated.
<configuration>
<connectionStrings>
<add name="SqlServices" connectionString="Data Source=MySqlServer;Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=aspnetdb;" />
</connectionStrings>
<system.web>
<membership defaultProvider="SqlProvider" userIsOnlineTimeWindow="20">
<providers>
<add name="SqlProvider"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider"
connectionStringName="SqlServices"
enablePasswordRetrieval="false"
enablePasswordReset="true"
requiresQuestionAndAnswer="true"
passwordFormat="Hashed"
applicationName="/" />
</providers>
</membership>
</system.web>
</configuration>
The following code example shows the login page for an ASP.NET application that uses forms authentication and ASP.NET membership.
Security Note |
|---|
This example contains a text box that accepts user input, which is a potential security threat. By default, ASP.NET Web pages validate that user input does not include script or HTML elements. For more information, see Script Exploits Overview. |
- AspNetHostingPermission
To use the FormsAuthentication class in a hosted environment. Demand value: LinkDemand. Permission value: Minimal.
Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2
The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
