Comment by Dario Fumagalli on "How to make PHP code in WordPress app safe from being edited by someone."

CommentHow to make PHP code in WordPress app safe from being edited by someone.

Dario Fumagalli

Enjoying software development since 1983

Oct 4, 2017

It's not very quick but it's relatively simple. Your premium version needs key algorithms or data to sit on a server of yours.

The plugin comes in a free version that talks to your server's "free, public API" and gets limited / worse / free stuff out of it.

They payware version involves the customer entering a registered API key they must purchase from you. That key is recognized by your server and it delivers premium data.

Of course, what to give away or to keep past the pay-wall is for you to decide. Some plugins are straightforward, all you need to do is to give limited data / "runs per day" / "dumber algo" and you are done.

Others need to provide limited data but lots of real time features, in this case it's going to be much harder to keep functionality on your server. But it's still done, look at some of the most famous WP plugins, their "pro" version usually works like I have described.

stuff ;)

Oct 4, 2017

it is still "easily hackable" -> i can just deactivate the check :) that's what I've been pointing out. Without a way to prevent introspection of the code and the code is running on the sever as a plugin .... the only other way would be having an API that delivers actually certain needed data / keys for the system. But even than the algorithms could get figured out because they are written in a human readable format.

No, as long as your pro version performs functionality on your server, the end user cannot see neither the source code nor know how it's done.

Example: your plugin performs Deep Learning. The plugin only shows an interface to configure the functionality and to register the pro version. The deep learning is then (only) performed on your own facilities. You can still give some functionality in the end user plugin and keep the most crucial portion private on your server.

Of course the end user could re-create a neural network on his own and could figure out your equations etc. etc.... but at this point you are facing a guy who can just code his own plugin and does not need you anyway. So it's unlikely you would face this kind of user.

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