If you are new to this, you'll want to start with user authentication turned off until you get a handle for the client side programming.

I actually did start without the authentication, but am trying to add it in right now... in my client, I am obtaining the token and saving it in a variable using the auth.gettoken method in exchange for the username and password...

I have now created a simple exposed function that takes a string parameter ("text") and just echoes it as an output... would it possible for you to provide a sample code snippet on how to use this token to get authenticated and invoke my function?

I am trying the following functions but keep getting a white screen "send_api_call", "pam_auth_usertoken", "pam_auth_session", could you perhaps just show how to properly pass the parameters to these..

thanks alot!!!

The instructions on the wiki for user authentication assume you have tried out api authentication. The example for api authentication is very explicit. For user authentication, the token is passed as auth_token as stated on the wiki.

As to white screens: http://docs.elgg.org/wiki/White_page

Have you looked at the Profile Manager plugin?

Thank you for your quick reply! 

I actually just figured it out. :).. I know about Profile Manager, but I am trying to learn to write my own plugins, at least for some of the functionality.

Any chance you could just point me in the right direction for my next task... I would like to change one of the profile fields to be a drop down list ... so I guess I need to add another field type (you know like there is text,longtext,email,tag etc) and create the css for it? if so, where are these field types defined?

Thank you so much and really a great job with Elgg!