Using VBulletin to authenticate users to my software?

[NeilFawcett]

I'd like to use the registration system of VBulletin to verify/identify users for a perl script I've got.

Ideally I'd like a link in VBulletin (ie: a link forum) to fire off my perl script. As part of that link I'd include the current session id of the user. On entering my perl script I'd then read the session table from the SQL database for the session id (passed to me) to get the username & if they're logged on (userid/loggedin).

From there my script should be happy. ie: I know that the person accessing my script has logged in successfully to VBulletin to get that far and I can take over from that point...


My questions are simply:-
a) Can I include the users session id in a link (somehow)? Preferably as a "Forum Link", ie: A forum definition that's actually a link. Or could I hardcode it in a template using the forum ID and include the session id in there somehow?
b) I know from Perl I can read MYSQL etc, so I assume I can read the "session" table/record using "sessionhash" and check "userid" and "loggedin" are OK?
c) If I wish to take a payment to allow access to the perl script, how could I use the subscription system in VBulletin? ie: What record/table would I have to read to see if the user has subscribed/paid?


I've very new to VBulletin so I apologise if any of these questions are noobish!

Using VBulleting to verify users would really help my site. Taking payments/subscription via VBulletin would be a nice bonus!