ClickOnce with x-day Trial versions?

Posted By: JohnAskew | Oct 28th @ 1:19 PM
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Comments: 10 | Views: 340
#Oct 28th @ 1:19 PM
JohnAskew
JohnAskew
9 girl in pink sweater

Have you run across a strategy/pattern or component that enables trials for software we publish with ClickOnce?

 

This is for both Windows.Forms and WPF if possible, though either is helpful.

 

EDIT:

Ah, here is a nice freebie:  http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/Trial_Maker.aspx

 

Any others you can suggest? It seems like there should be a nice ClickOnce add-in for this...

#Oct 28th @ 1:59 PM
dahat
dahat

There is also the Shareware Starter Kit which enables more than just having a trial mode.

#Oct 28th @ 2:10 PM
JohnAskew
JohnAskew
9 girl in pink sweater

The Shareware Starter Kit link says:

 

We have decided to end the SSK project.  Please contact info@personifydesign.com if you have any questions.

 

 

#Oct 28th @ 3:05 PM
dahat
dahat

Grrr... I knew they retired the free online service... but figured they’d still be making the service source code available (which they did quite some time ago)... but it seems only the client bits are on the DL site... shoot em an email and see if you can get the web service bits as well.

#Oct 28th @ 5:15 PM
figuerres
figuerres
???

or use the idea and make your own system......

 

setup a wcf service that uses ssl and binary xml that will keep the data small and fairly safe over the wires.

 

but you also need to make sure the client has to phone home / get auth keys ....

#Oct 28th @ 5:46 PM
kettch
kettch

I have a barebones sample project that I did quite some time ago that does online activation. I think it can generate files to activate in offline scenarios. It transmits binary encoded XML that is signed to be tamper evident. I know it can do a time limit, and it can also contain information on available features.

 

It's proof of concept for something that got integrated into a product, so it's not pretty and it's not commented at all. If you want, I have some time next week, I can clean it up and send it to you.

#Oct 29th @ 7:50 AM
JohnAskew
JohnAskew
9 girl in pink sweater

kettch, that is a generous offer and I appreciate it and look forward to it.

Thank you.

#Oct 29th @ 9:19 AM
kettch
kettch

What's your preferred version of Visual Studio?

#Oct 29th @ 9:37 AM
JohnAskew
JohnAskew
9 girl in pink sweater

2008...

 

C#

#Oct 29th @ 11:15 AM
vesuvius
vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

I love being a niner sometimes, because of stuff like this.

#Nov 10th @ 12:06 PM
kettch
kettch

I finally got around to working on this. Sorry for the delay. Is there an email address I can shoot this to?

 

This is totally proof of concept, hacked together, and riddled with copy/paste from all over the web. So, don't expect anything pretty. Smiley

 

The final version was a lot prettier, but you can't see that.

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