When the database is first created, any ABL user can define users in the _User table accounts; access is not restricted. However, once you add security administrators, only those security administrators can add users to the _User table accounts. For information on defining security administrators, see Designating a security administrator.

To add a user to the _User table accounts:

  1. Access the graphical Data Administration tool or the character Data Dictionary and choose Admin > Security > Edit User List. The Edit User List dialog box appears.
  2. Click Add. The Add User dialog box appears.
    Note:

    Remember that user IDs and user names are not case sensitive, but passwords are case sensitive. Anytime you want to cancel your entries, click Cancel or press END-ERROR.

  3. Enter the user ID (the effective user name) in the User ID field.
  4. Click Select Domain to select the domain name for the specified user ID. The Select Domain dialog appears.
  5. Select a domain from the list of domains, and click OK. Note that the selected domain must be configured for authenticating users in the _User table accounts.
  6. Enter a personal name (typically the first and last given name) in the User Name field. This allows you to keep track of the person assigned to that user ID. Since the value in this field is not used for security purposes, you can enter any text in this field.
  7. Enter the password in the Password field.
  8. Enter no or yes in the SQL Only field. A yes value for the SQL only field makes the user visible to the OpenEdge SQL, and transparent to OpenEdge ABL (meaning that the user is unable to log in from ABL using the user ID).
  9. Click OK. You are prompted to verify the password.
  10. Enter the password again. If you successfully enter the same password, you will see the user record added. If you enter a different password, no user record is created.
  11. To add another user record, click Add again. A new set of fields appears on the screen.
    Note: You cannot change a User ID field or Password field from the Edit User List dialog box once you have added the user. However, you can change a user ID or password by deleting and then re-creating the user record. Modify only allows you to make changes to the User Name field.

After a user record is added to the _User table accounts, the user can connect to that database using the password you assigned. Users can then change the assigned passwords to their own private passwords. See Changing a password for database users for instructions.

If users forget their passwords, you can delete their records from the _User table accounts and re-create new user records for them.