Display Active directory user inofmration on web page

Max Tenenbaum

Hi there,

I am trying to find/write a script in C#/ASPX that displays a users AD informaton on web page.

I am only after info such as username, name and email for example.

All the code snippets I have found so far are command line driven.

Thanks

M

22 Replies

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Vulpes15y ago
Accepted answer
The Company property already returns a string so you just need to compare that:

if (ThisUser.Company == "My Business Unit")
0
Vulpes15y ago
I'm sorry then, Max, but I'm out of suggestions on this one :(

I see you've already asked the question as a comment to the original article and hopefully Dhananjay will know whether it's possible to do what you want and, if so, how to do it.
0
Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi Vulpes,

I here what your saying but it doesnt work when I substitute loginName for several actual user login names(string). This method worked for the original ActiveDirectoryHelper class, but when trying this method out for ActiveDirectoryHelper2 I get a null exception.

Thanks

M
0
Vulpes15y ago
I'd check that it can still find the first AD user by logging in as that user.

If it can, then my suspicion is that it's not finding the second AD user for some reason.

To test this theory, I'd change the app.config back to what it was except use the credentials for the second user rather than the first.

Also put the Page_Load method back to what it was - you can leave the ActiveDirectoryHelper2 class for now - and log in as the second AD user. If the null exception still occurs, then the problem must lie with that user.
0
Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi Vulpes,

I did as you instructed, see changes below

app.config:









ActiveDIrectoryHelper2.cs:

namespace ActiveDirectoryHelper
{
    public class ActiveDirectoryHelper2
    {
        private DirectoryEntry _directoryEntry = null;

        private DirectoryEntry SearchRoot
        {
            get
            {
                if (_directoryEntry == null)
                {
                    _directoryEntry = new DirectoryEntry(LDAPPath, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword, AuthenticationTypes.Secure);
                }
                return _directoryEntry;
            }
        }

        private String LDAPPath
        {
            get
            {
                return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPPath2"];
            }
        }

        private String LDAPUser
        {
            get
            {
                return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPUser2"];
            }
        }

        private String LDAPPassword
        {
            get
            {
                return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPPassword2"];
            }
        }

        private String LDAPDomain
        {
            get
            {
                return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPDomain2"];
            }
        }
0
Vulpes15y ago
On the face of it, you could only get a null reference exception if:

1. You've forgotten to add the additional key/value pairs (or some of them) to the app.config file or you have added them but you've used different key names to the ones I used.

2. The code in Page_Load is failing to find either AD user and so ThisUser ends up as null.
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi Vulpes,

Thanks for your response, I have followed your instructions and unfortuately I get a null exception error

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Thanks

M
0
Suthish Nair15y ago
UserPrincipal Class will helps to get actual LDAP details. SamAccountName will return the user system login id.
0
Vulpes15y ago
You should be able to allow for 2 AD users as there's nothing to stop you adding another set of key/value pairs in the appSettings section of the app.config file:

To keep things simple I'd then create a second helper class, ActiveDirectoryHelper2, which is analagous to the first except that it gets details for the second user.

The only changes that should be needed for the second class are highlighed:

namespace ActiveDirectoryHelper // use same namespace as for first class
{
public class ActiveDirectoryHelper2
{
private DirectoryEntry _directoryEntry = null;

private DirectoryEntry SearchRoot
{
get
{
if (_directoryEntry == null)
{
_directoryEntry = new DirectoryEntry(LDAPPath, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword, AuthenticationTypes.Secure);
}
return _directoryEntry;
}
}

private String LDAPPath
{
get
{
return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPPath2"];
}
}

private String LDAPUser
{
get
{
return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPUser2"];
}
}

private String LDAPPassword
{
get
{
return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPPassword2"];
}
}

private String LDAPDomain
{
get
{
return ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["LDAPDomain2"];
}
}

internal ADUserDetail GetUserByFullName(String userName)
{
try
{
_directoryEntry = null;
DirectorySearcher directorySearch = new DirectorySearcher(SearchRoot);
directorySearch.Filter = "(&(objectClass=user)(cn=" + userName + "))";
SearchResult results = directorySearch.FindOne();

if (results != null)
{
DirectoryEntry user = new DirectoryEntry(results.Path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
return ADUserDetail.GetUser(user);
}
else
{
return null;
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return null;
}
}

public ADUserDetail GetUserByLoginName(String userName)
{
try
{
_directoryEntry = null;
DirectorySearcher directorySearch = new DirectorySearcher(SearchRoot);
directorySearch.Filter = "(&(objectClass=user)(SAMAccountName=" + userName + "))";
SearchResult results = directorySearch.FindOne();

if (results != null)
{
DirectoryEntry user = new DirectoryEntry(results.Path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
return ADUserDetail.GetUser(user);
}
return null;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return null;
}
}

///
/// This function will take a DL or Group name and return list of users
///
///
///
public List GetUserFromGroup(String groupName)
{
List userlist = new List();
try
{
_directoryEntry = null;
DirectorySearcher directorySearch = new DirectorySearcher(SearchRoot);
directorySearch.Filter = "(&(objectClass=group)(SAMAccountName=" + groupName + "))";
SearchResult results = directorySearch.FindOne();
if (results != null)
{

DirectoryEntry deGroup = new DirectoryEntry(results.Path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
System.DirectoryServices.PropertyCollection pColl = deGroup.Properties;
int count = pColl["member"].Count;

for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
{
string respath = results.Path;
string[] pathnavigate = respath.Split("CN".ToCharArray());
respath = pathnavigate[0];
string objpath = pColl["member"][i].ToString();
string path = respath + objpath;

DirectoryEntry user = new DirectoryEntry(path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
ADUserDetail userobj = ADUserDetail.GetUser(user);
userlist.Add(userobj);
user.Close();
}
}
return userlist;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return userlist;
}

}

#region Get user with First Name

public ListGetUsersByFirstName(string fName)
{

//UserProfile user;
List userlist = new List();
string filter = "";

_directoryEntry = null;
DirectorySearcher directorySearch = new DirectorySearcher(SearchRoot);
directorySearch.Asynchronous = true;
directorySearch.CacheResults = true;
filter = string.Format("(givenName={0}*", fName);
// filter = "(&(objectClass=user)(objectCategory=person)(givenName="+fName+ "*))";

directorySearch.Filter = filter;

SearchResultCollection userCollection = directorySearch.FindAll();
foreach (SearchResult users in userCollection)
{
DirectoryEntry userEntry = new DirectoryEntry(users.Path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
ADUserDetail userInfo = ADUserDetail.GetUser(userEntry);

userlist.Add(userInfo);

}

directorySearch.Filter = "(&(objectClass=group)(SAMAccountName=" +fName + "*))";
SearchResultCollection results = directorySearch.FindAll();
if (results != null)
{

foreach (SearchResult r in results)
{
DirectoryEntry deGroup = new DirectoryEntry(r.Path, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);

ADUserDetail agroup = ADUserDetail.GetUser(deGroup);
userlist.Add(agroup);
}

}
return userlist;
}

#endregion

#region AddUserToGroup
public bool AddUserToGroup(string userlogin, string groupName)
{
try
{
_directoryEntry = null;
ADManager admanager = new ADManager(LDAPDomain, LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
admanager.AddUserToGroup(userlogin, groupName);
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return false;
}
}
#endregion

#region RemoveUserToGroup
public bool RemoveUserToGroup(string userlogin, string groupName)
{
try
{
_directoryEntry = null;
ADManager admanager = new ADManager("xxx", LDAPUser, LDAPPassword);
admanager.RemoveUserFromGroup(userlogin, groupName);
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
return false;
}
}
#endregion
}
}

The code in Page_Load will then need to check that either user has logged in as follows:

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string loginName = Page.User.Identity.Name.Split('\\')[1];

ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper adh = new ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper();
ADUserDetail ThisUser = adh.GetUserByLoginName(loginName);
if (ThisUser == null) // first user not logged in
{
// try the second one
ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper2 adh2 = new ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper2();
ThisUser = adh2.GetUserByLoginName(loginName);
// if (ThisUser == null) do whatever you're doing now in the event of an invalid login
}

lblWhoAmI.Text = "Welcome: " + ThisUser.FirstName.ToString() + " " + ThisUser.LastName.ToString() + "
Company: " + ThisUser.Company.ToString();
}
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi again,

Is it possible to add a 2nd AD account/credentials to the App.Config file or any other way?

It turns out that my organisation has 2 AD's so I would like to be able to detect the 2nd one as well within my application.

Code used from http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/dhananjaycoder/activedirectoryoperations11132009113015AM/activedirectoryoperations.aspx

Thanks
0

Piyush Agrawal15y ago

                       This text will be replaced by the control    
       

piyush

lepide.com

Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Vulpes, Thanks for your help. I now have everything working!!! Cheers
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi,

Ok the code below worked a treat. I am now able to display the logon details of the user.

    protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper adh = new ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper();
        string loginName = Page.User.Identity.Name.Split('\\')[1];
        ADUserDetail ThisUser = adh.GetUserByLoginName(loginName);
        lblWhoAmI.Text = "Welcome: " + ThisUser.FirstName.ToString() + " " + ThisUser.LastName.ToString() + "
Company: " + ThisUser.Company.ToString();
     }

All I need to do now is write a condition statements based on Company. this doesnt seem to work, any idea?

    <% if (ThisUser.Company.ToString("My Business Unit"))
       { %>

    <% } else { %>

    <%} %>
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Vulpes15y ago
Not sure but I'd try getting the login name of the current user like this and then call the GetUserByLoginName method with the result:

string loginName = Page.User.Identity.Name.Split('\\')[1];
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi Vulpes,

Thanks for your help so far as I have now managed to connect to AD and display my details on the aspx page.
However, I need to get the 'GetUserByLoginName' to dynamically recognise a user logged in, so that I can tailor content to their business unit. Any ideas?

Thanks

M

0
Vulpes15y ago
There are a number of possible candidates there for object references which may be null.

The most obvious one is 'ThisUser'. I take it that you've used your actual log-in ID in place of "MYLOGINID"?
0

Max Tenenbaum15y ago

I followed the blog at the bottom of that thread by Christian who provides an dimplementation example, except now I get the following Error

Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Source Error:

Line 15:         ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper adh = new ActiveDirectoryHelper.ActiveDirectoryHelper(); Line 16:         ADUserDetail ThisUser = adh.GetUserByLoginName("MYLOGONID"); Line 17:         lblWhoAmI.Text = "Hello: " + ThisUser.FirstName.ToString() + "Manager: " + ThisUser.Manager.FirstName + ThisUser.Manager.LastName.ToString(); Line 18:  Line 19:     }

Vulpes15y ago
OK, the first 3 errors are just warnings so there's no need to worry about them.

There should be a class called ADManager in a file called ADManager.cs within the dll project

You may have overlooked it but here's the code which appears in the article:
ADManager.cs
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement;

namespace ActiveDirectoryHelper
{
    public class ADManager
    {

        PrincipalContext context;

        public ADManager()
        {
            context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Machine, "xxx", "xxx", "xxx");

        }


        public ADManager(string domain, string container)
        {
            context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, domain, container);
        }

        public ADManager(string domain, string username, string password)
        {
            context = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, username, password);
        }

        public bool AddUserToGroup(string userName, string groupName)
        {
            bool done = false;
            GroupPrincipal group = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, groupName);
            if (group == null)
            {
                group = new GroupPrincipal(context, groupName);
            }
            UserPrincipal user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, userName);
            if (user != null & group != null)
            {
                group.Members.Add(user);
                group.Save();
                done = (user.IsMemberOf(group));
            }
            return done;
        }


        public bool RemoveUserFromGroup(string userName, string groupName)
        {
            bool done = false;
            UserPrincipal user = UserPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, userName);
            GroupPrincipal group = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(context, groupName);
            if (user != null & group != null)
            {
                group.Members.Remove(user);
                group.Save();
                done = !(user.IsMemberOf(group));
            }
            return done;
        }
    }
}
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
image added to my previous post, apologies
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Vulpes15y ago
There wasn't an image attached to your post.

Can you try again or explain what the errors are in writing.
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Max Tenenbaum15y ago
Hi,

Thanks for your response.

Was wondering if you can help me further, when I try and build the activeDirectoryHelper I get the following errors. See image attahced.

M
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Vulpes15y ago
There's a great article on this site (http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/dhananjaycoder/activedirectoryoperations11132009113015AM/activedirectoryoperations.aspx) which should enable you to do everything you want and more.
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Display Active directory user inofmration on web page

ADManager.cs