check for new versions

[preston2]

Re: check for new versions

But wait, why would I want to spend $30 when I can build my own in about $300 worth of my time?

That is the problem with the industry my apps target. They would rather spend 10k in time to get out of buying a $100.00 program. Just human nature I guess.

[preston2]

Re: check for new versions

Ray,
I am almost positive he is looking to give update or information from his own website. (I think).
a simple text file with one line including the newest up date is all that is needed.
bring it to your site with and ftp function. read the first line with alpha to a variable, compare it to the variable for current in the adb and pop a message box up if needed. With a choice from that, can do nothing or can download the update file to wherever necessary (like desktop). the run the update. All is good again.

I am working on that whole thing right now and will share all the details when done and fully tested.

Similar is also going to be used for app registration. Again, I will share it when done.

A little precursor to this though. I used cpanel to create a folder in ftp and then a ftp user name to go directly to that folder. text file is name newest.txt. One line in it is "15.0514"(without the quotes) to match the date like I use for my apps.
The app version is in the adb, so any updates I put there will include the adb and any other changes applicable to my app.

What I showed above in another post was an image from filezilla. That is not the final, but a rough idea.

Dave, did you ever get any of this working?

I need to do something similar but not for checking for new versions.

What I would like be able to do is read a txt file on the web. Then read each line in the text file and compare to a value I will pull from the registry.

Reading the value from the registry is easy but pulling a file from the web and then reading each line to compare against the value in the registry is giving me trouble.

What I am trying to do is have my app read the file on the web which will contain canceled registration numbers. If the registration number matches one of the canceled numbers in the text file then I will have the app pop up a dialog telling them their license has been canceled and then shut the app down.

I have had a few customers do the trial of my app, then buy it and get a registration number only to tell their CC company a few weeks later that they did not make the purchase. I end up getting a charge back and they end up getting my app for free. This is rare but there are some out there that just try and screw you out of money.

So I need a way to shut the app down if they try and jip me out of a them money. If you get what I mean.

[DaveM]

Re: check for new versions

I understand fully. I would just download the file(can be any name) and read it on the machine. Then delete it after it is read.
Using ftp, that should be easy.
I use them like a csv then they could even be imported to a table then checked? Of course delete all of it when done.
If a client paid no money, I would simply do what you are doing.
No I have not been any further with it. Other pressing matters. I need to do it though.

[preston2]

Re: check for new versions

Ok, continuing from my post above.

I bastardized an example in the docs that was showing how to read a rss xml file in.

Ended up with this so far.

bad = http_get("http://www.shopcalsoftware.com/t5/nogood.txt")
if .not. eval_valid("bad.body")
    ui_msg_box("Error","The Verification file was not downloaded from the server.",UI_STOP_SYMBOL)
else
    dim num_regs as N
    num_regs = count_textblocks(bad.body,"<item>","</item>")
    dim item[num_regs] as P
    dim i as N
    dim this_item as C
    for i = 1 to num_regs
        this_item = extract_string(bad.body,"<item>","</item>",i,.t.)
        item[i].badnum = extract_string(this_item,"<badnum>","</badnum>")
next i
'now do something with this, like put it into a table or build an output file.
a5_show_variable(property_to_string(item))
end if

This reads a text file that is laid out like this.

<item>
<cust>Jipster</cust>
<badnum>0563-6382-2534-5784-2048</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Punk</cust>
<badnum>8384-0790-7574-2680-7078</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Crook</cust>
<badnum>8681-0134-4580-0786-3748</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Tinhorn</cust>
<badnum>8287-0725-8520-7389-7108</badnum>
</item>

The <cust> </cust> lines will not be read as they will only be for me to find the cheapskate in case they decide to pay me and want their app to run again.


It returns these results.

<[1]<badnum="0563-6382-2534-5784-2048">
>
<[2]<badnum="8384-0790-7574-2680-7078">
>
<[3]<badnum="8681-0134-4580-0786-3748">
>
<[4]<badnum="8287-0725-8520-7389-7108">
>

Now to work on stripping the number out of those results so I could then have a value like 8384-0790-7574-2680-7078.

I would then check each cleaned up result against the value I read from the registry and if there is a match shut the app down.

The comparison test will be done before each loop cycle (next i)

The main thing is reading the file and getting numbers is working very good. Just need to strip the excess garbage off the string so the comparison can be done.

[DaveM]

Re: check for new versions

If the number to check against the reg number is = "0563-6382-2534-5784-2048" and the version on the registry is ="05636382253457842048" then just remspecial(the first number) an they will match.

[preston2]

Re: check for new versions

If the number to check against the reg number is = "0563-6382-2534-5784-2048" and the version on the registry is ="05636382253457842048" then just remspecial(the first number) an they will match.

regnum.png

And before anyone ask, if they remove or modify the number in the registry the app will not run.

[preston2]

Re: check for new versions

Ok, got it working and the registration number gets read, compared and then traps to a dialog if the customers reg number is on the bad list.

This may not be the cleanest way to do it but it does work.

nogood.txt file layout.

<item>
<cust>Jipster</cust>
<badnum>0563-6382-2534-5784-2048</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Punk</cust>
<badnum>8384-0790-7574-2680-7078</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>My Dev Machine number for testing the trap</cust>
<badnum>4887-5748-5796-1476-5159</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Crook</cust>
<badnum>8681-0134-4580-0786-3748</badnum>
</item>
<item>
<cust>Tinhorn</cust>
<badnum>8287-0725-8520-7389-7108</badnum>
</item>

Revised test code.

'Date Created: 08-Jul-2015 09:19:09 PM
'Last Updated: 09-Jul-2015 09:16:50 AM
'Created By  : ShopCal
'Updated By  : ShopCal
bad = http_get("http://www.shopcalsoftware.com/t5/nogood.txt")
if .not. eval_valid("bad.body") 'This does not work yet for some reason so I may just take it out anyway. They may not have internet connection every time they run the app.
    ui_msg_box("Error","The Verification file was not downloaded from the server.",UI_STOP_SYMBOL)
else
    dim num_regs as N
    num_regs = count_textblocks(bad.body,"<badnum>","</badnum>")
    dim item[num_regs] as P
    dim i as N
    dim this_item as C
    dim numstring as c
    dim fixed_L as C
    dim fixed_R as C
    dim bad_num as C
'debug(1)    
    for i = 1 to num_regs
        this_item = extract_string(bad.body,"<badnum>","</badnum>",i,.t.)
        item[i].badnum = extract_string(this_item,"<badnum>","</badnum>")
        numstring = this_item
        fixed_L = ltrim(numstring,"<[1]<badnum>")
        fixed_R = Rtrim(fixed_L,"</badnum>")
        bad_num = fixed_r
        if bad_num = vc_reg_num then
        	'Displays a message box (style:'OK Button', image: 'Information symbol', id: 'delined_reg').
DIM SHARED  delinedreg_result as N
DIM SHARED  delinedreg_OK_Button as L 
delinedreg_OK_Button = .F.

title_var = "Declined Registration Number"
message_text_var = <<%text%
Your registration number has been declined for one or more reasons.

Please contact [email protected] if you feel this is in error.
%text%
delinedreg_result=ui_msg_box(title_var,message_text_var,UI_OK+ UI_FIRST_BUTTON_DEFAULT+ UI_INFORMATION_SYMBOL)
'Test to see which button on the message box was pressed....
SELECT
	CASE delinedreg_result = UI_OK_SELECTED
		delinedreg_OK_Button= .t.
END SELECT
'Kick them out of the app here or send them to the support site. Also write to a table to set the app as disabled.
'This will keep the app from running if they do not have internet connection the next time they start the app.
        end if
next i

end if

In the above code the variable vc_reg_num is gotten using this code in the autoexec script.

vc_reg_num = registry.sys_get( "HKey_current_user\Software" + chr(92) + company_name + chr(92) + adb_name + "\reg_no" )

A declined registration number will then get a message like this and when I finish the code it will shut down the app or take them to my support site after they click the "Ok" button.


If you want to test this for yourself just take the above code as is, manually give vc_reg_num a value of one of the bad numbers shown in the nogood.txt file and then run the script. I am going to leave the nogood.txt file there. The actual file I will using in my app will have a different name and be in a different location.