> 1. The client wants the scores submitted in the background, with NO > interaction from the user. > 2. The end user may not have a live connection at the time > when he/she's > finished the final module's test, so the test results may have to be > submitted later. > 3. The client wants the test scores to be in an encrypted > format on the > user's hard drive. (We were thinking of saving the information via a > Flash shared object, through a Flash application, and then having a > Director executable import the information and post it.) > > What we're currently thinking: we'd like to install the Director > executable into the Startup Items folder, and check for a > live Internet > connection. If the user's CBT tests are completed, the data > is uploaded > (completely in the background--with no user intervention--is this > possible?). > > But then we would like to destroy the executable when this process is > complete. > > Is this plausible? > What can you tell us generally about how we would go about this? > Or can you think of a better/easier way?
We have done a similar project - we used vlist Xtra to save results in 128 bit encrypted vlist files. At the time we did the project, the SecureNet Xtra wasn't around, and it was a bit of a nightmare trying to find a good way of sending the datastream as encrypted - we ended up sending the encrypted vlist of the file over an unencrypted connection - Net Lingo does not support connections over https. However the SecureNet Xtra would now solve all those probs. It also solves the other main problem of firewalls/proxies - BUT the end-user HAS to somehow supply the firewall/proxy config info - unless you can come up with a reliable way of ripping the info from the local browser or somesuch. If you can work out a way of grabbing the proxy/firewall config details, you could probably make this transparent for the end-user, however, what if the end-user NEVER has a connection? What if they have a dial up connection? The dial up WON'T be connected on startup when you launch Director t! o check for one - it might be open later, when the user dials up to check their email, but you can't just leave a Director projector running in the background, forever checking for a connection... Basically, connecting to the internet is a manual thing for the vast majority of users - only those who set their connection to dial on demand don't have to manually click "connect" - or those on a LAN who have a permanent connection (and who will be behind a firewall and proxy). My compromise would be too check for a connection of completion of test - if their isn't one, prompt the user to dial in/connect. If they refuse, drop the projector in the startup folder. Then when they reboot, the projector will open and check for a connection - if on a dial-up, they WON'T have one as soon as they reboot, so I would then have the projector prompt to dial in again. This means that everytime they reboot, they will be prompted to dial-in. Futher issues are if you prompt them to dial in, they click "OK" or "Connect", your app uploads the results, then do you prompt to disconnect? leave the connection open, and allow the user to decide when to disconnect (they may not realise they need ! to disconnect)? Disconnect without a pompt (hoping they don't happen to be checking their email at the time)? I won't hypothesise any further, but my point is that uploading files to the internet on an unknown connection (dial-up? permanent? proxy? firewall?) with NO end-user interaction is a BIG ask, and liable to many different problems, whereas a system that prompts the user to ensure an internet connection, and enter their proxy/firewall settings, is a lot more reliable, and allows the end-user to know exactly what is happening on their machine, and the status of their connection.... HTH, Ben PS With regard to destroying the file - as my projects are all CD based, I include an "uninstaller" on the CD itself - this allows you to delete any files you have created on their machine using a CD-resident app - therefore leaving the users hard drive clean...the only downside being the user has to insert the CD to uninstall (much like MS Office!) [To remove yourself from this list, or to change to digest mode, go to http://www.penworks.com/lingo-l.cgi To post messages to the list, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Problems, email [EMAIL PROTECTED]). Lingo-L is for learning and helping with programming Lingo. Thanks!]
