newbie query: how to set up a "members" section?

TOTAL newbie to anything server-based

[Don_Hoagie]

First, my apologies for having no idea what i'm talking about. This is the dark side to me. If there is a better place on the forum for this query, or if it's been covered in another post, by all means please send me away to those places.

I'm doing a fairly straight-forward membership site, and I'm trying to set up a members section.

Unless anyone can tell me otherwise, i'm assuming the only server stuff i'll need to be doing on this web site is the script that will authenticate the members' login info... in my sad excuse for research, it seems like this would be the process:

+ Put appropriate code (don't know what would be) allowing for an .htpasswd file into .htaccess

+ Accept a user's request for a login:pass combo and manually place those pass combos into the .htpasswd file

+ Write up some server code (don't know what that would be) that will authenticate login info from the site

+ Take a nap

Am i missing some very important stuff here? Even if i'm not, any advice on what server work needs to be done in order to differentiate a members section of a site? Assuming there may be thousands of members, is there a better way to do this?

ANY assistance is much appreciated...

[edited by: jdMorgan at 3:46 am (utc) on Dec. 6, 2005]
[edit reason] Removed specifics. [/edit]

[topsites]

Yes, I would highly recommend checking into some type of application utilizes the sql database to store your member's names and passwords (et.al.) so that:
1) You do not have to manually set each one of them up.
2) Only they have access to their account info (actually you do, too, but it's a real inconvenience).
3) Software can store/retrieve other information as well without your intervention. Not only for purposes such as what is stored but also perhaps it has automated 'lost' password retrieval ability, etc...

Certainly there is something out there already made, possibly on sourceforge.net, also it is likely php-based applications can take advantage of this thou you'll have to search script sites for it, such as hotscripts.com (under php) and like sites...
I would say check under [hotscripts.com...]
But that appears to be mostly forums, dunno...
Still, it would eventually look something like this:
[myfsbo.com...]
(not my site lolz).

Far as the actual code, the app takes care of that thou you may have to create a <form><input> based device.

Hope is help.

p.s.: it helps to know what you intend to store beyond the login, that would aid in the search.

[Don_Hoagie]

Thanks topsites... i'll check out sourceforge