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How to protect code?

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:03 pm
by SmokyBarnable
I wrote an application that works with a popular shopping cart. How do I protect my code and make sure it is still usable by anyone. Do I need something like a php encoder?

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:06 pm
by John Cartwright
Either host your code on your server, and provide it as a service or use an encoder. The problem with encoding it that it requires the server to have the neccesary decoder installed as well, which typically limits your user base.

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:34 pm
by SmokyBarnable
so if I understand you correctly, part of my application would not be secure but it could call to my server for functionality?

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 9:48 pm
by John Cartwright
I'm not sure if I understood what you just said. Could you rephrase please.

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:29 pm
by SmokyBarnable
If I host the code on my server how would I allow the customer to access it?

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 4:55 am
by Chris Corbyn
SmokyBarnable wrote:If I host the code on my server how would I allow the customer to access it?
I'm still not understanding. PHP code can never be seen by anyone unless they have access to your web server directly (i.e. direct access to the server via FTP or something). PHP is executed at the server and all the end-user sees is the result. If you're hosting code on your server all you have to do is give your customers the address of the page.

If you're referring to selling the code you wrote to other PHP developers to use in their own applications but you'd rather be closed-source, then yes you can encode it but you cut out a huge chunk of the market since the other developers need special software to run the code. PHP is by it's very nature an open-source language. I know it's personal opinion but I'm seeing way too many people trying to make it closed source these days which kind of ruins to whole community spirit of the language. Keeping the source visible to other developers who will use the code promotoes good development because nobody wants to release code against their name if it's not well written.

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:54 am
by feyd
Not to mention all the encoders have counterparts.

You're better off with a quality license.

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:03 am
by SmokyBarnable
I created a plug-in or a module for a popular shopping cart. So it would be part of their shopping cart. If I used the license method do I need to write something in the code that would call my server from time to time to see if the license is valid? How would I disable the application if the license is not valid?

Thanks.

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:42 am
by feyd
SmokyBarnable wrote:I created a plug-in or a module for a popular shopping cart. So it would be part of their shopping cart. If I used the license method do I need to write something in the code that would call my server from time to time to see if the license is valid? How would I disable the application if the license is not valid?

Thanks.
I'm not talking about software usage license. I'm talking licensing agreements; signed pieces of paper (or their digital equivalents.)