[thelist] Perl/PHP/mySQL required to download software?

Sharon F. Malone sfmalo at 24caratdesign.com
Tue Jun 4 05:38:00 CDT 2002


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
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Sharon F. Malone
"web design and Internet writing services"
http://www.24caratdesign.com
sfmalo at 24caratdesign.com



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