[thelist] Perl? PHP? mySQL? required to download software from a web site - REPOST

Hans Zaunere zaunere at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 6 08:38:04 CDT 2002


For one, you need to organize your thoughts/process a little better,
and realize that 'hscdl' doesn't mean anything - it's probably just
some script someone wrote.

For what I can see, each of you client's clients (sub client) buys
software from your client, which is personalized in some form for them.
 When they make the purchase, a unique ID is generated - good, this is
all we need.  Now, your client needs to upload the customized software
to his site, and make it available to the sub client - no problem.

Using PHP and MySQL first whip up a little form for your client.  Read
about PHP's handling of file uploads
(http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.file-upload.php or just search
google).  This form will simply let your client select the file he
wants uploaded and the sub client's unique ID.  Make an obscurely named
directory for this uploaded files, then write the file that is uploaded
to the directory, changing the name of the uploaded file to the unique
ID (and proper extension).

So where does MySQL come in?  It might not have to.  But if I were you,
I'd store metadata in MySQL (ie, original filename uploaded, when it
was uploaded, size, unique id used, etc) that might come in handy at
some point for account tracking, billing, whatever.

Now, when the sub client needs to download their software, just point
them to this unique URL.  If you do a good job generating the unique
ID, things should hold up well.

This is not the best/most secure/feature rich/ way of doing this, and
there are many variations even on this scheme of doing it.  However, it
is the simplest, and should get you started.

Hope this helped,

Hans Z.
New York PHP
http://nyphp.org



--- "Sharon F. Malone" <sfmalo at 24caratdesign.com> wrote:
> This is a re-post of a question(s) I threw on the Evolt table on 6/4.
> No one replied, so I thought I'd try again. Really could use the
> help. Here 'tis:
>
> Really could use some direction here.
>
>  I have designed and built a web site for a client who wants to sell
> software online. A Buyer purchases the software, a third party will
> then process the credit card information, send a confirming email to
> Buyer and to my client. Once my client receives the payment
> confirmation he will then generate a customized registration number
> based on the Buyer's registration name so the number will be
> completely personalized. Client also will generate a personalized
> copy of the program using the registration number and also use the
> registration number as a password to allow the customer to download
> their personalized copy of the program from Client's web site.
>
> I have the download set up now as a form showing an email address and
> buyer's User ID # text area boxes. My problem is determining what
> backend stuff needs to be set up to hold this information and call
> the appropriate registration number (User ID #) program for each
> buyer to download.
>
> I have a form coded that calls something from the cgi-bin but I don't
> know what that something consists of. I was looking at some other
> sites to see how folks did this and that's where I got the code. I
> see the code but I don't understand it. Example I found: <form
> method="get" action="http://www.xxxxx.com/cgi-bin/hscdl">. What does
> hscdl mean?
>
> Client thinks he doesn't have to rely on the host for keeping his
> transaction records in a database on their server. He thinks this
> will be
> a manual process he will handle, but later he can automate this
> process on the host server. I think it entails something from the get
> go involving Perl or PHP and mySQL Doesn't make sense to me
> otherwise.
>
> Or, I could create a restricted directory and subdirs on the server
> to which my client could upload each individual program purchased to
> a specific subdir. I would set up another FTP Session Profile and
> these instructions could be emailed to the Buyer ... who could then
> download using FTP, not using the web site. Have already done that
> with another client so I'm familiar with it. It's the backend stuff I
> don't know how to do.
>
> Sorry for the length of this question(s)! Am I thinking this through
> correctly? What about client's thoughts on this? And what in heaven's
> name does hscdl mean?
>
> Best,
> Sharon
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sharon F. Malone
> "web design and Internet writing services"
> http://www.24caratdesign.com
> sfmalo at 24caratdesign.com
> --
> For unsubscribe and other options, including
> the Tip Harvester and archive of thelist go to:
> http://lists.evolt.org Workers of the Web, evolt !


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com



More information about the thelist mailing list