On 2 June 2011 06:34, bandhu chithi <bchithi@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Hi There, > > I have a website up & running. > > I want to change my developer, but the code of the website is entirely in > coded format and when i took the backup and passed it on to my new > developer, they can not read anything and all the .php files looks the same > except the name of the files. > > So what shall i do to get my code. Being an owner of the website, i don't > have any control, feeling so helpless. > > Any sort of help is welcome. > > Regards, > > Bandhu > [Moved to PHP General list] By the sounds it it, the developer has used an encoder to protect his work from being sold/reused without him being paid for it. If you are able to supply 1 file (you'd have probably zip the file first to preserve it's content and have to send it to me directly as the mailing list would just bounce it), then I could take a look and see what I see. Various encoders leave a "fingerprint" behind - though not all. One way you can check to see if an encoder was used is to create a file called info.php and have it contain ... <?php phpinfo(); Just those 2 lines. Place this in the same directory as your existing files on your web server. Now load http://www.your-site-name-here.com/info.php Look through the page, seeing if you see anything related to an "encoder". Some that come to mind ... Zend Guard, IONCube, NU-Coder. If you see something like that, then that suggests a decoder (the decoders tend to be free and would have been installed when you got your site working), is being used. Depending upon the contract you had with the developer, you may be entitled to the source or not. I'm guessing you paid for "a web site". You got that. You didn't pay for access to the source. A bit like buying MS Office. You pay for a license to use the software. You do not buy the source. What can you do? In the first instance, I'd ask the developer for the source. If you've had a falling out, don't worry. If he is running a proper business, he shouldn't let personal issue get in the way (too much), but don't pay too much though. Consider the cost to you of buying the code vs paying for a new developer to build a copy of the site. There are other possibilities, but they could have legal repercussions - essentially reversing the encoding may be considered as an attempt to bypass a copyright protection system which could contravene the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act. Personally, for a business, I'd not consider that as an option. If you use a tool to do this and then rely upon the code that is made available, you could open yourself up for a nice little law suit. Please note : I am not a lawyer. Of course, there could be any other reason why you can't read the code, but without seeing at least 1 file, it would be hard to say why. Regards, Richard Quadling. -- Richard Quadling Twitter : EE : Zend : PHPDoc @RQuadling : e-e.com/M_248814.html : bit.ly/9O8vFY : bit.ly/lFnVea -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
