compiling php scripts - does it really work?

I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
summary of the current situation?

I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
php.

Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

Re: compiling php scripts - does it really work?

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:41:32 -0400, firewoodtim wrote:
> I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
> scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
> summary of the current situation?
>
> I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
> a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
> will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
> take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
> way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
> executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
> php.
>
> Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

http://www.google.com/search?q=php+compiler

contains more than I know about ths subject. You will be trading
"protection" for a fair amount of operational flexibility.

--
84. I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.
f--Peter Anspach's list of things to do as an Evil Overlord

Re: compiling php scripts - does it really work?

On 20 Apr, 20:41, firewoodtim wrote:
> I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
> scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
> summary of the current situation?
>
> I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
> a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
> will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
> take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
> way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
> executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
> php.
>
> Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

Yes - but be warned there are lots of PHP obfuscators out there
masquerading as compilers/proper encryptors. As such they will slow
down your code significantly.

I only have experience of the bad sort - but hope that Zend Guard or
Turck encoder might do a better job.

C.

Re: compiling php scripts - does it really work?

On Apr 20, 12:41 pm, firewoodtim wrote:
>
> I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
> scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
> summary of the current situation?

There are commercial PHP compilers that do not rely on Zend engine:

http://www.roadsend.com/home/index.php?pageID=compiler
http://www.php-compiler.net/

(The last one is Windows-only)

> I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
> a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
> will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family,

That, in my opinion, is not likely to happen. To pull it off, you
need
either a Microsoft-size marketing machine (which they use to sell
SharePoint) or a razor-sharp focus on a well-defined market niche (in
which case you still need a boatload of money; witness SugarCRM
raising
another $20 million in February, which brings the total funding
raised
from outside sources to $46 million).

> but I need to take measures that to protect the code.

If you do that, your target audience is automatically limited to
those
with dedicated servers; you can't run an executable on a shared
server.

Rather than play "code protection" games, consider versioning. Give
away the "Community Edition", sell the "Professional Edition" for
deployment on customers' hardware (with an option to buy a
preconfigured
"appliance"), and offer the "Enterprise Edition" strictly as a hosted
solution.

Cheers,
NC

Re: compiling php scripts - does it really work?

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:41:32 -0400, in comp.lang.php firewoodtim

wrote:

>| I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
>| scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
>| summary of the current situation?
>|
>| I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
>| a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
>| will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
>| take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
>| way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
>| executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
>| php.
>|
>| Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

Have a look at:
http://www.nusphere.com/products/nucoder.htm
http://www.nusphere.com/products/phpexpress.htm
-- ------------------------------------------------------------ -
jnorthau@yourpantsyahoo.com.au : Remove your pants to reply
-- ------------------------------------------------------------ -