Release 0.0.3

This release was the first widely spread release, helped no doubt by the entry in the Joomla Extensions Directory (JED). It addresses a minor issue with the previous release where the edit profile screen displayed the password as being an optional parameter, when in actual fact the plug-in demands it as a mandatory specification. This is achieved by the use of session variables and an onContentPrepareForm event.

The specification of the password chance form is now an optionally specified administrator parameter.

This release also builds upon the earlier releases by making use of the underlying database tables to give two specific abilities:

  1. The ability to force password changes for a single specified one off occurrence.

  2. The provision of advance warning to the users enabling them to change their passwords in advance, prior to being forced to change them.

The module uses session variables. One named ‘password_force’ is used to control the setting of the ‘optional’ setting in the password change form. The second named ‘prompt_check’ ensures that a user is not continually prompted to change their password in advance more than once in a particular logon session. Each is located in their own name space ‘PasswordControl'.

When a user has signed in to the system the module gets the last password change date from the database. There are then several checks performed.

If the administrator has specified that ‘all’ users (exempt those that are specifically exempt) should change their password after a specified date (once_date), and that date has now passed, then the user is instructed to change their password and sent to the specified screen (by default com_users&view=profile&layout=edit) to make the change.

If the specified number of days has passed since the last logon and the administrator has requested blocking of accounts, then the account is blocked and the user is instructed to contact the administrator.

If the specified number of days has passed since the last password change and the account is not blocked then the user is requested to change their password and redirected to the specified screen.

The last check is to see how many days are remaining before the password is due to be changed. If it is within the specified limit the user is given the option of changing the password straight away of continuing with their session.

The information requests are provided by Java script.

One minor change in this release is that when a password change is enforced by the specification of the one off change, that all users including existing users will be forced to change their passwords. Formally there was an option that permitted pre-registered users to be left unchanged. This release removes that option.

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