Accessing HttpContext and User Identity from data layer

Question

I need to implement AddedBy/ChangedBy type fields on my Base Entity that all other entities inherit from ( Fluent Nhibernate ).

Accessing HttpContext.User.Identity

Answer 1

HttpContext.Current is a static member that you can access anywhere in the application. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.httpcontext.current%28v=vs.110%29.aspx Obviously there are problems, such as if you don't HAVE an HttpContext when the code is called.

So HttpContext.Current.User should work for you. I wouldn't recommend it, because your underlying data access code is now depending on stuff that should be kept to your display or controller logic, etc. Also, this assumes that your data access is in the web application itself and not part of, say, an external library.

Personally, I'd just pass in the salient details, like user ID and access time, as part of the add and modify database calls. Make an "AuditTrail" class or something. That would let you reuse that data access code (always a good thing) in another project without having to pull out all the HttpContext stuff.