"dating" a file

[Anon]

Is there any way with PHP scripts to make them valid for a only specified duration of time?

What I want to do is give a client a script that he can run and use for 6 months. Then after that period of time, the script would automatically not work?

Can I do something like this with a date function?

[gerardg]

LOL, this title is too funny on Valentine's day (especially on a computer-related forum).

As for your question, you could code it into the script but it's likely easily circumventable (depending on how much effort you want to put into it).

[Anon]

Ooops, that was unintentional. :-)

Anyhow, how do I go about this?
The client is computer-challenged.

Thanks.

[[deleted]]

One way to do it:

Create/copy the files on the date that the client is first allowed to use the scripts.
Inside the script you can use filesystem functions (http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.filesystem.php) to read the creation date of the file itself. If it is younger than 6 months: do the job. If it is older than 6 months, print an error and stop.

Ofcourse this is 0.01 seconds of work to override if the clients can edit the scripts themselves, but then permissions aren't really an issue anyway.

[Anon]

Personally, I'd write an algorithm that generates a 'license key' which includes an encoded date, that your script checks at each execution. When the date passed, you can error.

Your client can then call you up and throw a little extra money your way and you can provide a new license key that will allow the product to run for another six months.

[[deleted]]

In that case you might aswell plug the script straight into a database and have it validate there, saves you a lot of work on installing licence-keys.