Can I store and update data buat not at database?

[paispatin]

Dear all,

I just curious about putting some setting/product version/company name at a file but that file can not read with notepad or not a database file (such as dbf).

This is the sample situation:
I create a master program and compile at .exe.
Inside the master program, there is copyright for a company name, but I want company name can be change without do it at visual foxpro 8 program, just doing something, maybe create a new .exe program special only for changing a company name at that program.

Just curious
Thank you in advance.

 

[Mike Gagnon]

paispatin

You could store this information in the Windows registry, and retrieve this information when the application loads.

Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.

 

[Mike Lewis]

paispatin,

Another option would be to write it to a text file, then flag the file as "hidden".

Mike


Mike Lewis
Edinburgh, Scotland

My Visual Foxpro web site:

http://www.ml-consult.demon.co.uk

My Crystal Reports web site:

http://www.ml-crystal.com

 

[rgbean]

While the Registry is the current prefered method, you could revert to what we did in the "old" days and write it to a .INI text file. Then all you need is Notepad to change the data.

Rick

 

[craigber]

Or you could use XML.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com

Author, CrysDev: A Developer's Guide to Integrating Crystal Reports"

 

[paispatin]

Thank you for reply, Mike Gagnon to write at Registry maybe such a good idea, but how to do that. I mean the simple script for write and read the registry. Even if we use WinXP or W2K it will be difficult for standart user for edit the registry unless the administrator give privilege for him.

Mike Lewis and Rick, if I put the client company name who use that program at a flat file even we could hide it, it still easy for someuser to find that file, and change the company name than make that program copright to other company.

Craig, I don't have idea how to use XML.

Thank you

 

[wgcs]

What version of VFP are you in?

If you're in v6,7 or 8, it's really simple to create a (slightly) encrypted text file that stores the company name:

To store the name:

lcClean = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'
lcEncr = 'aAbBcCdDeEfFgGhHiIjJkKlLmMnNoOpPqQrRsStTuUvVwWxXyYzZ'
lcCompanyName = "My Company"
lcEncrypted = CHRTRAN(lcCompanyName,lcClean,lcEncr)
STRTOFILE(lcEncrypted,'MyAPP.KEY')

* to retrieve the name:
lcEncrypted = FILETOSTR('MyAPP.KEY')
lcCompanyName = CHRTRAN(lcCompanyName,lcEncr,lcClean)

You can come up with a stronger encryption mechanism if you want, but how much effort (and how many people) will people go through to pirate your application?

BTW: If you don't want people using Notepad to change your registered company name, be sure to consider that opening RegEdit and using "Find" to locate the company name (in case you put it in an unusual place) isn't very hard either.

- Bill

Get the best answers to your questions -- See FAQ481-4875.

 

[wgcs]

As an additional idea, using the above method, if you CHRTRAN to a string composed of CHR(1)...CHR(52), then anyone would have a real hard time editing the encrypted file with notepad: they'd need a hex editor to change the chars that are in the low ascii range.

ie:


lcEncr = ''
for lnI = 1 to 52
lcEncr = lcEncr + chr(lnI)
endfor

- Bill

Get the best answers to your questions -- See FAQ481-4875.

 

[craigber]

If you're just creating a flat file XML, you can use CURSORTOXML() and XMLTOCURSOR(). XML is simply a text file with special tags to delimit the data.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com

Author, CrysDev: A Developer's Guide to Integrating Crystal Reports"