Viewing FMP5 Developer Files

[garhop]

Am using FMP 5 and recently downloaded an unrelated program on 10 day free trial. Upon exiting the 10 day trial a FMP5 Splash Screen displayed. I then looked in the 10 day trial's subdirectory and tried opening the db files with my FMP5. The 10 day trial program seemed to run the same with my FMP5 as it did with the Developer Runtime Routine.

My questions are: (1) Did the Developer of the Solution that I downloaded overlook something? (2) Was there a way he could have protected his Solution from someone having FMP5 and running the solution after the free download expired? (3) If you have FMP5, are you then able to run any solutions using your own program?

If this is so, why would a person (other than to maintain honesty) "buy" a solution such as I downloaded, when he already got it free?

The reasons for my inquiry are honorable in that I am looking at purchasing the Developer package to market a couple Solutions via the Internet and want to offer a 10 day free trial. I now have apprehensions that anyone with FMP5 would be able to run my Solutions from the trial version and have no reason to purchase it?

Will you be so kind as to offer your guidance?

Thank you

Gary

[Kurt Knippel]

quote:

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Originally posted by garhop:

Am using FMP 5 and recently downloaded an unrelated program on 10 day free trial. Upon exiting the 10 day trial a FMP5 Splash Screen displayed. I then looked in the 10 day trial's subdirectory and tried opening the db files with my FMP5. The 10 day trial program seemed to run the same with my FMP5 as it did with the Developer Runtime Routine.

My questions are: (1) Did the Developer of the Solution that I downloaded overlook something? (2) Was there a way he could have protected his Solution from someone having FMP5 and running the solution after the free download expired? (3) If you have FMP5, are you then able to run any solutions using your own program?

If this is so, why would a person (other than to maintain honesty) "buy" a solution such as I downloaded, when he already got it free?

The reasons for my inquiry are honorable in that I am looking at purchasing the Developer package to market a couple Solutions via the Internet and want to offer a 10 day free trial. I now have apprehensions that anyone with FMP5 would be able to run my Solutions from the trial version and have no reason to purchase it?

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The main thing that the DE does is to allow you to create a runtime version of the solution that does NOT require a copy of Filemaker to work.

It does not protect your solution beyond that. You should always make sure to put in the appropriate protections to avoid people stealing your work.

However you do this within the design of your solution long before you do anything with the DE.

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Kurt Knippel

Senior Filemaker Developer

http://www.database-resources.com

mailto:[email protected]

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[garhop]

Kurt,

Being new to FMP5, will you please elaborate with an example or two of "appropriate protections"

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"It does not protect your solution beyond that. You should always make sure to put in the appropriate protections to avoid people stealing your work.

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Many thanks

Gary

[danjacoby]

quote:

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Originally posted by garhop:

Kurt,

Being new to FMP5, will you please elaborate with an example or two of "appropriate protections"

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Create a global field called "CurrentDate" (make it a date field).

Create a global field called "FirstUse" (make it a date field too).

Create a global field called "TooLate" (this one is a text field).

Create a script that does the following, and have the script run on opening the file (note that I'm starting with step 2 -- first read the whole thing, then remember to write the script starting with step 1 [there's a method to my madness])

2. If "FirstUse" is empty, paste the current date into that field.

3. Paste the current date into "CurrentDate".

4. If "CurrentDate" minus "FirstUse" is greater than 10 (or however many days you want the demo to last), paste literal "Too Late" in the field "TooLate" and run this script again.

************

1. (See? I told you I'd get to step 1) ...

If the field "TooLate" equals "Too Late", show message "Sorry, your demonstration time has expired. Please purchase a full copy at ... yadda, yadda, yadda." Give them only one choice -- "OK", and then close the file.

With this script, when someone opens the file for the first time, the file puts the current date in the "FirstUse" field. Then, every time they open the file, it checks the current date against the first use. When they've had their 10 days, it puts "Too Late" in the "TooLate" field; starting at that point, the file becomes unusable, because they automatically get the message saying they've finished their demo time, and the file closes on them.

This "time bomb" has the advantage, once it's activated, of the user being unable to circumvent it by changing the date in his/her computer. In other words, once the user gets the "too late" message, there's nothing he/she can do.

HTH,

Dan

[garhop]

Dan, Kurt,

So many thanks. You guys have fortified my faith in FMP5 Developer. Apparantly the Developer of the 10 day DL that I received, being a novice like me, was unaware that he could disable the Solution's DB files. He used Interlok by Pace Anti-Piracy which disables the runtime EXE file, but leaves the DB files usable.

One more question if I might impose. Could a person, in possession of FMP5 Developer UNDO the protection provided by the "protection fields" and/or re-enable disabled Menu items?

Thank you in advance

Gary

[danjacoby]

quote:

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Originally posted by garhop:

Dan, Kurt,

One more question if I might impose. Could a person, in possession of FMP5 Developer UNDO the protection provided by the "protection fields" and/or re-enable disabled Menu items?

Thank you in advance

Gary

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Not if the protection is properly set up.

(Apparently, using Developer v5, you can set up a runtime version of the database in such a way that Filemaker, Inc. can't even get to the layout mode.)