Multiple Membership Types Using aMember and ExpressionEngine

Discussion in 'Setting-up protection' started by affiliate, May 24, 2009.

  1. affiliate

    affiliate New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2008
    Messages:
    30
    Dynamic Folder Protection

    Hey all - we're launching a product on Wednesday and have everything in place *EXCEPT* this. You guys constantly do an amazing job (David, Skippy and others - you know who you are and why I'm looking at you!) and I want to thank you in advance. Y'all *ROCK*.

    Now on with the tough shizzle.

    I can't figure out how to integrate aMember and EE for a multiple membership type website. Hope someone can help. Here's what I'm trying to do. I'm going to explain it using real life examples:

    * Membership 1 (monthly, semestral and anual recurring payments): Downloadable eBooks
    * Membership 2 (monthly, semestral and anual recurring payments): Online utilities
    * Membership 3 (monthly, semestral and anual recurring payments): Pro Forum Access

    I can accomplish all the above using aMember and protecting folders:

    /ebooks/ (for membership 1)
    /utilities/ (for membership 2)
    /forum/ (for membership 3)

    I can also allow every member subscribe to one or several memberships at the same time. But as far as I understand aMember can only protect static folders and the ones used by EE are dynamic.

    Question 1) Can I integrate this aMember Membership configuration to be used with EE?

    Theoretical Approach 1) Leave the above static created folders protected in aMember and create Template Groups: "ebooks", "utilities" and "forum" in EE. This way, aMember will manage what folder any member can see.

    Problem: I understand aMember protects physical/static folders because I have to search for them in the aMember browser and select which existing folder I need to protect. Will this work with EE dynamically created folders, for example, when EE dynamically creates /ebooks/ (template group) even if it already exists physically?

    Problem 2: If the above problem doesn't work, can I protect the /ebooks/ folder using aMember and then delete the folder to allow EE create it dynamically and still allow aMember to protect it?

    Question 2) If none of the above works, is there any other way I can use EE as my CMS for the above aMember Membership configuration? If yes, I'd appreciate if you could explain how with as much detail as possible. I'm not very clear on any of this. :eek:

    Thanks in advance! :)

    -David (and programmer Checo!)
  2. davidm1

    davidm1 aMember User & Partner

    Joined:
    May 16, 2006
    Messages:
    4,437
    I havent done an EE integration, so not sure how amember works with it, but can comment on your virtual/physical folder protection method- it wont work.

    If there's no standard integration/protection available, what you may be able to do is figure out how EE calls the content and use php_include to protect the content.

    David
  3. affiliate

    affiliate New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2008
    Messages:
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    I'm pulling my hair out over this. I appreciate the helpful response - it's what I needed to hear even if not I *WANTED* to hear. ;)

    So basically, what we need is some way to protect dynamic folders inside aMember, so that only members with subscription X can see area X, and not Y - and vice versa.

    Bugger.

    -David
  4. skippybosco

    skippybosco CGI-Central Partner Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2006
    Messages:
    2,526
    You can also consider how tied you are to EE or if you would consider an alternative that already has integration built so that you can build on the success of others.
  5. affiliate

    affiliate New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2008
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    There are several reasons we bought EE... A single control panel from which we could manage multiple "Weblogs" (essentially product member areas). We're not really willing to switch.

    If someone has a method of being able to protect dynamic folders in aMember - I'm sure we could work something out in terms of $. ;)

    I am a little disappointed in the sense that I paid for the EE integration plugin from aMember and now I find out that actually - EE can't integrate with aMember. In user signups, yes. But in protecting content (the point of aMember, no?) it doesn't, at least not as standard.

    -D
  6. sedev

    sedev New Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2009
    Messages:
    3
    HI David,

    I just integrated my EE site with Amember. I have three products which can be purchased in any combination.
    I ended up creating a member group in EE for each possible combination and a corresponding product in Amember. So for 3 actual products, I have 7 member groups.
    (Actually, that is the simple version. I have different level subscriptions as well, so I end up with even more member groups)

    Anyway, this solution feels very inelegant and would not scale very well, but it works for my scenario.
    I don't like the fact that the user has to select from a list with every possible combination, instead of adding/removing products, but I can live with that.

    I should mention that EE allows you to set member group access for each individual template, so you can set access to be quite granular.

    I'm not sure what exactly you mean by dynamic folders. If you mean the URL-template relationship, then this will work fine for you.

    Good luck with it,

    Seamus

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