[Zope] Database Access Question

[Chris Walters]

hi,

I'm consider myself a Zope newbie even though I've done a number of projects with 
DTML and zClasses; I've yet to implement a Zope product from scratch or deploy what 
I would consider to be a complex app.

However, that's about to change!

I'm trying to get the Zope zen when it comes to zSql methods and a custom user 
folder.  I've got a Win32 application that I'm trying to evolve into a combination 
of WebObjects and Zope applications.  I'm hoping to share an authentication 
mechanism/scheme between the 3 applications.  The current Win32 app uses a 
combination of database protection and a custom "license" mechanism to 
enable/disable application features based on a user's role.  I need to replicate 
this functionality in Zope.

I would like to have a user folder that authenticates a user based on a combination 
of database password (i.e., like the username and password that the zODBCDA 
connection uses for the connection string) and a custom users table (if the user 
gets that far), and a license file product that sits in the custom user folder and 
provides role information.  I've looked at LoginManager and UserDB and don't know 
which one to start with, or even if either of them is an appropriate launch point.

Does this sound like a reasonable thing to try?  Can anyone suggest alternative 
mechanisms to unify the authentication of users between these 3 development and 
application environments?  We already have a database in place, so that is pretty 
easy to modify if necessary.  I know about LDAP but that would mean major changes to 
the legacy win32 code that I'd like to avoid if possible.

Any hints would be greatly appreciated.