Installing Time-Stamped Demos

[moniuch]

I just read in the release notes for 6.7 about its support for product trial installations. Being on a free edition, I don't think I can test it, so could I please have someone shed light on me as per what kind of mechanism is used. I need to evaluate whether it can address my needs. If it can't, please consider this post as a feature request.

I need to install a time-limited build of an Adobe Illustrator commercial script. The script is written in ExtendScript (ECMA script, sort of extended JavaScript) and has the demo end date compiled, absolutely ("20090101") or relatively ("+14" as for 14 days since the installation date). The script is exported to a binary file (.jsx or .jsxbin). You launch it by selecting it as a menu item in Adobe Illustrator.

Currently the script simply compares the compiled end date with the system date, but user can easily prolong the use of the script by simply tampering with the calendar date and rolling it back to an earlier date. I would need a different kind of check, acting on a lower level, which could tell (perhaps via DLL which ExtendScript is able to load) whether the system clock has been tampered with since the last script launch, as well as at what stage of the demo period we are. The script would call the necessary DLL functions and decide whether it can run. [I think I encountered this type of check years back on Mac, where altering the system clock would terminate demo of a certain program.]

I know that in the world there is no lock without a pass, but I think this type of restriction would be sufficient for my client.

Curious to hear from you whether it can be done now with the help from AdvInst 6.7
Art

[Cosmin]

Hi Art,

I'm not familiar with ExtendScript, so I don't know what its capabilities are. However, if you can use it to call functions from DLLs, perhaps there is a way you can use the licensing feature. Please note that this would require an Enterprise license.

Can ExtendScript call functions from C++ DLLs?

Regards,
Cosmin

[moniuch]

Oh, I see, looks likea bit of money
Yes, it can load DLL:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/bridge/pdfs ... de_cs3.pdf

Thanks for the info
Art

[Cosmin]

Hi Art,

We checked the link you provided and currently the licensing feature is not supported by ExtendScript. However, we will try to make it compatible in a future version of Advanced Installer.

Regards,
Cosmin

[moniuch]

Hi Cosmin,

What can I say. It's always great to see a live feedback from a company and their efforts to address new issues.

So, while I'll wait to see the time stamp (or time sense) feature, I would only suggest that you revise your feature policy/matrix and not limit this feature to enterprise edition only. Please note that for developers starting their business, it'd a crucial tool to deliver trial products to force users to make decision, pay and generate the income. So it'd be an aid for "young" developers and something that encourages the purchase of AI pro or ent edition in the future. You could limit that trial module in the free edition, for example, to build 14-day trials only, or a limited number of trials or limit it's life to, say, 3-month period. But definitely, enable it in somehow in the free edition. Please consider it. Thanks.

Art

[moniuch]

Cosmin,
Please be advised though that scripts for Adobe apps, apart from Javascript/ExtendScript can also be built in VB [and AppleScript if you care]. This may matter for your developers.

[Cosmin]

Hi,

You could limit that trial module in the free edition, for example, to build 14-day trials only, or a limited number of trials or limit it's life to, say, 3-month period. But definitely, enable it in somehow in the free edition. Please consider it.

I will discuss this with my manager, but I'm not sure If the licensing feature will be available in the Free version.

Please be advised though that scripts for Adobe apps, apart from Javascript/ExtendScript can also be built in VB [and AppleScript if you care]. This may matter for your developers.

The licensing feature can be used by Visual Basic applications. However, it has some limitations when it comes to ExtendScript. Hopefully these limitations will be eliminated in a future version of Advanced Installer.

Regards,
Cosmin

[moniuch]

Hi,

After a long break in my project, let me check: any update on the above-mentioned feature?

Cheers,
Moniuch

[Cosmin]

Hi Moniuch,

I'm afraid that there aren't any updates on this.

Regards,
Cosmin