HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name is always string.Empty

Question

Hi I use a custom MembershipProvider.

I want to know the current username during an application scenario, but when I try accessing HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.Name it always returns string.Empty.

if (Membership.ValidateUser(tbUsername.Text, tbPassword.Text))
{
    FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(tbUsername.Text, true);
    bool x = User.Identity.IsAuthenticated; //true
    string y = User.Identity.Name; //""
    FormsAuthentication.RedirectFromLoginPage(tbUsername.Text, cbRememberMe.Checked);
}

Am I missing something?

Answer 1

FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(tbUsername.Text, true);
bool x = User.Identity.IsAuthenticated; //true
string y = User.Identity.Name; //""

The problem you have is at this point you're only setting the authentication cookie, the IPrincipal that gets created inside the forms authentication module will not happen until there is a new request - so at that point the HttpContext.User is in a weird state. Once the redirect happens then, because it's a new request from the browser the cookie will get read before your page is reached and the correct user object created.

Cookies are only set on the browser after a request is completed.

As an aside RedirectFromLoginPage creates a forms auth cookie anyway, you don't need to do it manually