bala_karat wrote:

> Hi !
>
> Started working on PHP recently. We added a web module successfully to a Delphi application with Firebird. We also used CodeIgniter framework for this.
>
> Now we are planning to develop a new browser based product. Here we want some advice. We are not comfortable in coding fully with PHP as the code is totally exposed. Ours is going to be an intranet application and we would be supplying the code to the customer.
>
> We want to know what best strategy can be followed in such situations so that the design is not copied easily. We understand DLLs can be called from PHP.

I have to admit to taking the other approach in this area, but I'm only
targeting a narrow market anyway, and the license free, extend it your
self approach is slowly paying off. I'm getting asked to extend into
other areas, and am not being so pressured to reduce the annual
maintenance charges ;)

PHP can be obfuscated
http://www.raizlabs.com/software/phpobfuscator/ for instance

but PHP5.3 will bring Phar - which compresses the 'application' into a
single 'JAR' like archive and is supposed to have some security
elements. I've not bothered looking at that since the main ADVANTAGE of
PHP is the ability to take a few pages of the app and modify or extend
them without touching any other areas of the code. We regularly add
facilities just by adding new pages.

Of cause running 'Firebird only' and using key SQL processes built into
the database is another way to add to the obfuscation, and the
firebird-support list will help with implementing that end of things ....

--
Lester Caine - G8HFL
-----------------------------
Contact - http://lsces.co.uk/wiki/?page=contact
L.S.Caine Electronic Services - http://lsces.co.uk
EnquirySolve - http://enquirysolve.com/
Model Engineers Digital Workshop - http://medw.co.uk//
Firebird - http://www.firebirdsql.org/index.php