Creating 30-Day Trial Applications

Creating 30-Day Trial Applications

Question:
I am Web site developer assisting a Visual FoxPro developer in distributing his creation via the Internet. He wants to create a 30-day trial version for distribution in this way. Does Visual FoxPro have any kind of canned modules available that would do this sort of thing or is he going to have to build it in from scratch?

Answer:
Visual FoxPro has a wizard called the Setup Wizard that builds media (disks, network installs, etc.) that can be used to install the VFP application. It does not have the ability to make 30-day trial versions, however.

Here are some suggestions:

  • The VFP developer could develop the application so that it checks for the existence of a file or registry or INI setting. If that setting is there or exists then the application is in 30-day mode: the application can store the date of the first access of the application and then check every time the application is run to see whether the 30 days are over.
  • A simpler approach might be to rename the executable. For example, if the executable for the full product is RICK.EXE, name RICKDEMO30.EXE. The application could check the name of the EXE running and track the date of first access (as mentioned in the previous bullet item) if the word “DEMO” is in the EXE name. Further, it could check the number following the word “DEMO” and use that as the number of days of evaluation.
  • Yet another approach would be to take advantage of the Setup Wizard’s “post-setup executable” option. You can tell the Setup Wizard to run another executable after the product is installed. The VFP developer could create a post-executable which would set up the trial environment (registry setting, INI setting, etc.).
Share the Post:
Heading photo, Metadata.

What is Metadata?

What is metadata? Well, It’s an odd concept to wrap your head around. Metadata is essentially the secondary layer of data that tracks details about the “regular” data. The regular

XDR solutions

The Benefits of Using XDR Solutions

Cybercriminals constantly adapt their strategies, developing newer, more powerful, and intelligent ways to attack your network. Since security professionals must innovate as well, more conventional endpoint detection solutions have evolved

AI is revolutionizing fraud detection

How AI is Revolutionizing Fraud Detection

Artificial intelligence – commonly known as AI – means a form of technology with multiple uses. As a result, it has become extremely valuable to a number of businesses across

AI innovation

Companies Leading AI Innovation in 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been transforming industries and revolutionizing business operations. AI’s potential to enhance efficiency and productivity has become crucial to many businesses. As we move into 2023, several

data fivetran pricing

Fivetran Pricing Explained

One of the biggest trends of the 21st century is the massive surge in analytics. Analytics is the process of utilizing data to drive future decision-making. With so much of

kubernetes logging

Kubernetes Logging: What You Need to Know

Kubernetes from Google is one of the most popular open-source and free container management solutions made to make managing and deploying applications easier. It has a solid architecture that makes

ransomware cyber attack

Why Is Ransomware Such a Major Threat?

One of the most significant cyber threats faced by modern organizations is a ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks have grown in both sophistication and frequency over the past few years, forcing