Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr48/vser10a.zip/VSER.TXT

Text File | 1995-01-17 | 22KB | 497 lines

    ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                     Visible::Serialization(tm)                     ║
    ║                     --------------------------                     ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║       append a serial number (or other identifier) to an .exe      ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                     a product of RCCO Research                     ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ║                                                                    ║
    ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝



Capabilities
-------------
Visible::Serialization(tm) is a utilities set primarily intended for
developers so that they may append a serial number (or other identifier) to
the end of an .exe file, create and/or increment such serial numbers, and
search for and display a serial number appended to an executable file.  Users
other than developers may use Visible::Serialization to initialize purchased
software applications with ownership, security-related, or other identifying
marks.

A unique serial number going out with each copy of an application affords
the developer with a possible opportunity to identify, if need be, the
registered client of a particular copy.  The end-user is normally unaware
of the existence of such a mark, its location, its method of placement or
the method of reading/verifying.  Its absence or modification may provide
evidence of tampering.

Visible::Serialization may be used with most traditional MS-DOS or Windows
executables, including those created with CA-Clipper, Borland Turbo Pascal,
QuickBASIC, PowerBasic, Visual Basic(tm) for Windows or DOS, FoxPro, Clarion,
C, Visual C++, etc.

The chief advantages, aside from the utilities themselves, are both low cost
and method of acquiring.  The copy included herewith is a fully-functional
evaluation copy available easily and universally through the user-supported
software marketplace.




The Visible::Serialization package
-----------------------------------
This set of utilities consists of the following primary files:

         CREATESN.EXE  (create or increment a serialno.dat file)
         APPENDSN.EXE  (append a serial string in serialno.dat to an .exe)
         SEARCHSN.EXE  (search/verify an .exe for a serial string)
         SN2A.BAT      (sample batch file for production of successive
                           serializations on distribution diskettes)

Also included are:
         SERIALNO.DAT  (sample numerical serial number data file for
                           reading by APPENDSN.EXE; not needed or
                           necessarily distributed with applications)
         SAMPLE.EXE    (sample c file .exe on which to practice append
                           and search sessions)




Using Visible::Serialization
-----------------------------
CreateSN.exe
-------------
You may use CreateSN.exe to create an ASCII text file called serialno.dat
containing a beginning numerical sequence or an alphanumeric string to be
used by the AppenSN.exe utility.  You may create and use both a numerical
serial number (which can be incremented by subsequent runs of CreateSN.exe)
or an alphanumeric string (including letters, digits, punctuation marks and
spaces).

If there is in the working directory for the project at hand a file called
serialno.dat, CreateSN.exe will attempt to increment a numerical serial
number up to nine (9) digits by one number.  For example, if the serialno.dat
file contains the number 10001, running CreateSN from the command line will
change serialno.dat to 10002.  If serialno.dat contains characters other
than digits, or contains a digital sequence greater than 9 in length, an
appropriate message will report that the sequence cannot be incremented,
accompanied by an exit to the system prompt.

If a serialno.dat file is not found in the current directory, CreateSN.exe
will prompt you for a beginning serial number.  You may enter either a
numerical sequence or any alphanumeric string up to 34 characters in length.
Only if you intend to have CreateSN increment the sequence later must you
limit the length and content to 9 digits or less, with no letters, spaces or
punctuation marks.

After appropriate entry of a new sequence or an increment of an existing
sequence, CreateSN.exe will indicate successful completion and display the
new serialno.dat file typed to the screen for verification.  The serialno.dat
is now ready for use by AppendSN.exe.


AppendSN.exe
-------------
To use AppendSN.exe, you type at the DOS prompt:

                        appendsn <filename.exe>

and press <enter>, where <filename.exe> is the actual copy of the .exe file
you wish to serialize.  We provide a practice file in this package,
sample.exe, for purposes of trying the append and search/read operations.
(You may wish to retain an unchanged copy of the original sample.exe for
evaluating various serialization sequences and the resulting appends.)

If there exists in the current directory an appropriate serialno.dat file,
AppendSN.exe will read the sequence therein.  If the sequence consists of
34 or less characters in length, AppendSN.exe will append that sequence to
the end of the .exe file named as the required command line parameter.  (If
serialno.dat contains a sequence in excess of 34 characters, an appropriate
message will display, accompanied by an exit to the system prompt.)

For example, if the serialno.dat file contains the sequence of digits 10002,
and we execute

                        appendsn sample.exe <enter>

then 10002 will be appended to the end of sample.exe.  Should the serialno.dat
file contain the sequence:  10002 John C. Smith, then that exact sequence
will be appended to sample.exe.  A serialno.dat file containing "Property of
XYZ Corp." will cause that string to be appended to sample.exe.

After successful completion of the append, AppendSN.exe will note that with
an appropriate message.


SearchSN.exe
-------------
The third utility in the Visible::Serialization set is SearchSN.exe.  You
may use SearchSN.exe to search/verify an .exe for a serial string.  If you
take the original, unserialized copy of sample.exe and type

                        searchsn sample.exe <enter>

you will receive a message stating "Serial number not found."

If the .exe file has been initialized with a serial number sequence by
using AppendSN.exe (as above), then the results will be a partial dump
of that area of the .exe showing our program name followed by the appended
serial number sequence.  (There may also be a few garbage characters or
other text displayed as well, but these should not interfere with the reading
or verification of the true serial number sequence.)

You may also view the serial number sequence with a hex editor; search for
the key string "Visible::Serialization."  If you intend to utilize the
serial number programmatically in an application -- that is, reading it for
display or verification purposes on the end-user's machine -- you will also
search for the same key string and read the requisite succeeding bytes for
the serial number.  Please note that your registered copy will not include
the unregistered copy notice and that its absence will affect the number of
bytes to be read before locating the serial number itself.




The serialno.dat file
----------------------
You may also create/modify a serialno.dat file with your text editor or
simply modify the sample one included with this package.

Serialno.dat must be a plain ASCII text file (no extraneous characters)
consisting of one line only, with no more than 34 characters in the one line;
it must be left-justified within serialno.dat.  It should appear similarly
as follows:

10002


(or)

10002 John C. Doe


(or)

John C. Doe


(or)

A123 456-78M


(or)

Property of XYZ Corp.


etc.

within the format limitations described above.






Production Use
---------------
In order to use Visible::Serialization in producing multiple copies of
sequentially serialized .exe's, there are several possible steps to consider.

First, if the distribution diskette will simply contain an unarchived copy
of your .exe, you can utilize a batch file similar to the included sample
SN2A.BAT.  SN2A.BAT is fairly self-explanatory, assuming the disks to be
initialized are going to be in Drive A: of your production machine and are
already made up in the needed quantity.  Modify or create your own SN2A.BAT
as needed; make sure the Visible::Serialization executable files are in your
path or the complete pathname of those files is indicated in SN2A.BAT.
Successive runs of SN2A.BAT will initialize each stock diskette in turn.

If your intended .exe is to be placed in a compressed archive file for
distribution purposes, you should create a batch file that will initialize
the .exe with the next serial number, update the archive each time, and copy
it to the next distribution diskette.  Often, a firm will have a quantity of
distribution disks made up containing everything except one final archive
file which will contain only the initialized .exe file; then, in sequence,
a batch file will execute the initialization on a virgin copy of the .exe,
compress it in its own archive, and lastly, copy it to the next disk where
the appropriate label (if it indicates a serial number) may be applied.

Our own firm often leaves a copy of serialno.dat in the root directory of
the distribution diskette.  We include a note in the readme.txt that informs
the client that "The serial number registered in the user's name is found in
the file SERIALNO.DAT.  It is provided on the disk for your recordkeeping
purposes only."  It also provides a means for our staff or external agents
to make a quick check that the serial number matches the one indicated on
the disk label or invoice, should the need arise.

There are many possible alternatives to producing initialized copies for
distributions; most development firms will create their own preferred
operation appropriate for an application.  The above descriptions are only
possible suggestions and are not meant to preclude other means for utilizing
the Visible::Serialization program.





Precautions
------------
Always work with COPIES of your original .exe files.  Periodically verify
with SearchSN.exe the production copies of your .exe's to ascertain that
the serial number sequence is properly written and readable.

It is possible to make multiple appends to the same .exe; the SearchSN.exe
utility will attempt to locate and display only the first instance of a
serial number sequence.

AppendSN.exe can be used to append the contents of serialno.dat to the end
of file types other than .exe's.  You should well test and consider the
intent and consequences of any such append.  The SearchSN.exe utility can
have difficulty in locating the serial sequence in this or other rare
circumstance.

You should verify that your applications are fully tested and bugfree before
appending a serial number.  After a prototype append, you will most likely
test again that the application works as it did previously.  In the unlikely
event there are difficulties, we suggest that you restore an original copy
of the application and perform again the testing process, then apply the
append procedure according to the instructions provided in this documenta-
tion.





Program Requirements
---------------------
The requirements for running Visible::Serialization include a DOS-compatible
PC with 512k memory.  DOS 3.1 (or later) or Windows 3.x (or later) should be
utilized.





The Unregistered Evaluation Copy
---------------------------------
The unregistered version of this program is intended for use in evaluation
situations.  It may be used for ninety (90) days within your own organ-
ization by persons that have knowledge and understanding of the fact that
this is an unregistered evaluation copy.

The payment of the $19.95 purchase price for a registered copy of this
program will allow license for a single user to make use of the program for
purposes that are traditionally accepted for software utilities of this
type.  Additional site license fees of $7.50 per user may be paid at the
time of registration, or any time in the future after initial registration
at the then current license fee in effect.  There are no runtime royalties
involved in the distribution of your materials utilizing a duly registered
copy of Visible::Serialization.

The license and authorized registration shall not be construed as being
in effect until direct payment has been received by RCCO Research and an
authorized, registered copy has been sent in the registered user's/users'
name(s).





The Registered Version of Visible::Serialization
-------------------------------------------------
The registered copy performs the same execution as the evaluation copy, only
without the unregistered copy notices.

Documentation for the registered version is an on-disk text file, similar to
the present format.





Licensing Information
----------------------
This program is licensed and supplied as is, without any warranty.  To the
extent permitted under applicable law, RCCO Research Associates disclaims
all warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to this software
program, its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any
particular purpose.

In particular, this software program is not guaranteed to prevent or detect
damage to your data or programs.  In no event shall RCCO Research Associates
be liable for any claims for lost profits or any damage, including, but not
limited to, special, incidental, consequential or other damage (including,
without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interrup-
tion, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of
the use of or inability to use this RCCO Research Associates product, even
if RCCO Research Associates has been advised of the possibility of such
damages.  Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental
or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply
to you.  In no case shall RCCO Research Associates's liability exceed the
license fees paid for the right to use the licensed version of the software.

The license agreement and warranty shall be construed, interpreted and
governed by the laws of the state of Tennessee.

This software program is protected under the Copyright Laws of the United
States of America and all applicable International Copyright Conventions.
Makers and/or users of illegal or unauthorized copies of the registered
version are subject to prosecution under these laws.

The name  Visible::Serialization(tm)  is a trademark of RCCO Research
Associates.  Windows(tm) is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.  Other
trade names referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective companies.





Registration Notes
-------------------
Registration will obtain a copy of the most recent authorized version and
provide legal authorization for continued use of the program after the
ninety-day (90-day) evaluation period.

To obtain a registered copy, you must mail an advance-payment registration
fee of U.S. $19.95 + $2.55 shipping/handling ($7.05 non-U.S. shipping/
handling, $4.05 for Canada) directly to RCCO Research.  Additional users
are $7.50 per user.  Payment is to be made by check or money order only,
please.  We require payment with order so that prices and fees may be kept
as reasonable as possible; this policy has worked well for us in recent
years, as we observe increased registration on products that are reasonably
priced.  For credit card and telephone orders, see the Additional Ordering
Options note below.

An invoice will be included with your order, showing the registered serial
number(s) applicable to the purchase.  We can provide a pro forma invoice
to those corporations or institutions that require same before payment can
be issued; shipment will be made promptly upon receipt of payment.  Prices
and/or registration and/or license fees are subject to change without notice.

Tennessee clients please include the required 8.5% sales tax on both the
product amount and shipping/handling as mandated by the state.

International clients must pay by check or money order in U.S. dollars, drawn
on a U.S. bank or the U.S. branch of an international bank.  Please realize
that international postal money orders are considerably delayed through the
postal systems and may not be the most expedient way of relaying payment.  An
often-used form of payment consists of obtaining a dollar-denominated money
order from the local American Express office which you may then airmail to
us along with your order.  International orders are dispatched promptly
when using a credit card order as outlined below, under Additional Ordering
Options.

Please indicate program name and current version number on your order; you
may use the Order.frm file provided with the package or simply send a note or
letter with your name, organization name, address, program name & version,
number of users being licensed, and remittance.  Your comments on our
programs are welcomed.




     Additional Ordering Options:
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     CREDIT CARD ORDERS ONLY -
     You may order a registered copy of this RCCO Research program
     with MC, Visa, Amex, or Discover from PsL, Public (software)
     Library of Houston, Texas by calling 800-242-4775 or 713-524-6394,
     or by FAX to 713-524-6398, or by CompuServe E-mail to 71355,470.
     You may also mail credit card orders to PsL at P.O. Box 35705,
     Houston, TX 77235-5705.  PsL's item/product number for
     Visible::Serialization is #11763.

     THE ABOVE NUMBERS ARE FOR ORDERS ONLY.
     Any questions about the status of the shipment of the order,
     registration options, product details, technical support, volume
     discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, etc. must be directed in
     writing to RCCO Research, P.O. Box 196, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.  To
     ensure that you get the fastest possible delivery of your registered
     copy, PsL will notify us the day of your order and we will promptly
     ship the materials directly to you.  There are no additional fees
     for ordering by credit card.

     Your credit card number is *not* transmitted to RCCO Research, but
     rather is processed by PsL as part of their software registration
     ordering service.

     The above service is made available as a convenience to client
     individuals who feel comfortable with ordering by telephone and
     with a credit card.  Established concerns may prefer to order
     directly from RCCO Research with the company's own business check.

     The PsL staff cannot answer non-order inquiries.
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------





Additional Information
-----------------------
If you have any comments regarding this program after (or with) registration,
please send them to:

                              RCCO Research Associates
                              P. O. Box 196
                              Gatlinburg, TN 37738 (U.S.A.)

Please include your phone (day & evening) and fax (if any) numbers as well
as your mailing address (and CompuServe number / Internet address, if any)
on ALL written communications.  Please indicate the serial number from your
registered copy of the program as well as your CustID number.  Our E-mail
addresses are provided to registered users along with the invoice.


RCCO Research is the publisher of Visible::Setup(tm) (a developers'
installation utility for DOS applications used widely in many parts of the
world), as well as several other popular development tools.  Please consult
your favorite user-supported software source for the availability of these
and other RCCO Research DOS and Windows programs.







Visible::Serialization(tm)
--------------------------
append a serial number (or other identifier) to an .exe



(C) Copyright 1995 RCCO Research Associates
All Rights Reserved under International Conventions
Product of U.S.A.



RCCO Research Associates
Post Office Box 196
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738 (U.S.A.)



                     ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
                     │     RCCO Research Associates    │
                     │ Technical Publishers, Est. 1965 │
                     └─────────────────────────────────┘