--- loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2005/11/15 20:46:40	1.293
+++ loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2005/11/17 22:59:00	1.296
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # a pile of common routines
 #
-# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.293 2005/11/15 20:46:40 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.296 2005/11/17 22:59:00 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -1920,12 +1920,11 @@ if $first is set to 'lastname' then it r
 
 =cut
 
+
 ###############################################################
 sub plainname {
     my ($uname,$udom,$first)=@_;
-    my %names=&Apache::lonnet::get('environment',
-                    ['firstname','middlename','lastname','generation'],
-					 $udom,$uname);
+    my %names=&getnames($uname,$udom);
     my $name=&Apache::lonnet::format_name($names{'firstname'},
 					  $names{'middlename'},
 					  $names{'lastname'},
@@ -1956,19 +1955,7 @@ if the user does not
 
 sub nickname {
     my ($uname,$udom)=@_;
-    my %names;
-    if ($uname eq $env{'user.name'} &&
-	$udom eq $env{'user.domain'}) {
-	%names=('nickname'   => $env{'environment.nickname'}  ,
-		'firstname'  => $env{'environment.firstname'} ,
-		'middlename' => $env{'environment.middlename'},
-		'lastname'   => $env{'environment.lastname'}  ,
-		'generation' => $env{'environment.generation'});
-    } else {
-	%names=&Apache::lonnet::get('environment',
-				    ['nickname','firstname','middlename',
-				     'lastname','generation'],$udom,$uname);
-    }
+    my %names=&getnames($uname,$udom);
     my $name=$names{'nickname'};
     if ($name) {
        $name='"'.$name.'"'; 
@@ -1981,6 +1968,20 @@ sub nickname {
     return $name;
 }
 
+sub getnames {
+    my ($uname,$udom)=@_;
+    my $id=$uname.':'.$udom;
+    my ($names,$cached)=&Apache::lonnet::is_cached_new('namescache',$id);
+    if ($cached) {
+	return %{$names};
+    } else {
+	my %loadnames=&Apache::lonnet::get('environment',
+                    ['firstname','middlename','lastname','generation','nickname'],
+					 $udom,$uname);
+	&Apache::lonnet::do_cache_new('namescache',$id,\%loadnames);
+	return %loadnames;
+    }
+}
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------ Screenname
 
@@ -2889,7 +2890,7 @@ ENDROLE
     #
     return(<<ENDBODY);
 $bodytag
-<table class="thinborder" width="100%" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0">
+<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0">
 <tr><td bgcolor="$sidebg">
 $upperleft</td>
 <td bgcolor="$sidebg" align="right">$messages&nbsp;</td>
@@ -3083,6 +3084,83 @@ sub get_sections {
 }
 
 ###############################################
+
+=pod
+
+=item get_group_settings
+
+Uses TokeParser to extract group information from the
+XML used to describe course groups.
+
+Input:
+Scalar containing XML (as retrieved from &lonnet::get_coursegroups).
+
+Output:
+Hash containing group information as key=values for (a), and
+hash of hashes for (b)
+
+Keys (in two categories):
+(a) groupname, creator, creation, modified, startdate,enddate.
+Corresponding values are name of the group, creator of the group
+(username:domain), UNIX time for date group was created, and
+settings were last modified, and default start and end access
+times for group members.
+
+(b) functions returned in hash of hashes.
+Outer hash key is functions.
+Inner hash keys are chat,discussion,email,files,homepage,roster.
+Corresponding values are either on or off, depending on
+whther this type of functionality is available for the group.
+
+=cut
+                                                                                 
+###############################################
+
+sub get_group_settings {
+    my ($groupinfo)=@_;
+    my $parser=HTML::TokeParser->new(\$groupinfo);
+    my $token;
+    my $tool = '';
+    my %content=();
+    while ($token=$parser->get_token) {
+        if ($token->[0] eq 'S')  {
+            my $entry=$token->[1];
+            if ($entry eq 'functions') {
+                %{$content{$entry}} = ();
+                $tool = $entry;
+            } else {
+                my $value=$parser->get_text('/'.$entry);
+                if ($entry eq 'name') {
+                    if ($tool eq 'functions') {
+                        my $function = $token->[2]{id};
+                        $content{$tool}{$function} = $value;
+                    }
+                } elsif ($entry eq 'groupname') {
+                    $content{$entry}=&Apache::lonnet::unescape($value);
+                } else {
+                    $content{$entry}=$value;
+                }
+            }
+        } elsif ($token->[0] eq 'E') {
+            if ($token->[1] eq 'functions') {
+                $tool = '';
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return %content;
+}
+
+sub check_group_access {
+    my ($group) = @_;
+    my $access = 1;
+    my $now = time;
+    my ($start,$end) = split(/\./,$env{'user.role.gr/'.$env{'request.course,id'}.'/'.$group});
+    if (($end!=0) && ($end<$now)) { $access = 0; }
+    if (($start!=0) && ($start>$now)) { $access=0; }
+    return $access;
+}
+
+###############################################
 
 =pod