You can do the same thing w/o permanent clutter!
Each database (including the apps) have a "created"
date. Simply refuse to run beyond creator date+30 days!
But the user can always re-install each month
you say? Here's the tricky part: in each of your
databases store the created date of the app when
the database was made -- if the created date of
the creating app is different than the created
date of the app trying to open it, then it's
been reloaded by someone trying to bypass the
eval period. This way, someone trying to eval
past the original 30-day period can do so, but
they must start over -- the data does not carry
over. For real evaluation purposes this should
not be too onerous, but it would make it impossible
for people trying to use the app for free to
work.
Each database will have an overhead in the amount
of the size of the datestamp during the eval period,
but the registered version of the app could remove
even this.
This scheme is much preferable, imo, than leaving
overhead behind for ever & ever amen in a stored
prefs or 2nd creator id database just because
I tried your app once and you want to ensure that
I never never try it again.
--
-Richard M. Hartman
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
186,000 mi./sec ... not just a good idea, it's the LAW!
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul A. Dugas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>
> Save the date in the backed-up preferences database if it's
> not already
> there. It stays even when the app is deleted. Some might
> argue that this
> ends up cluttering the machine but IMHO not as much as a
> second creator ID
> and left over databases. Let the jaunty banter begin! :)
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael S. Davis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> >
> > Also, of importance is how to prevent simply re-installing the app.
> > Can it be done without a second CreatorID?
> >
> > On Mon, 9 Aug 1999, David R. Britton wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear coders,
> > >
> > > I am planning on marketing my app as shareware. My
> intent is to allow
> > > a grace period of 30 days after the app is installed.
> What is the best
> > > way to initialize the "grace" period?
