Visual Basic Discussion Boards

I'd say no.

To many posablility's of this going very wrong very fast.

If you are going to store credit card information in your database, you should be aware that some countries have legal requirements as to what you can and cannot store. Here in the UK the Data Protection Act sets out some very specific conditions regarding credit card details, for example. Failure to comply with these regulations may be a criminal offence depending on your local laws.

Credit card companies will also normally put in place various restrictions as to what you may store and how you store it. Failure to comply with these may result in your company being black-listed by the credit card company.

All in all, it is a bit of a minefield and I would recommend not to do it unless you really, really know what you are doing. If you need to store credit card data, there are a number of companies that specialise in providing secure services for this sort of thing.

More info can be found here:

http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Handling_E-Commerce_Payments[^]

https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards/pci_dss.shtml[^]

I've worked on at least one project that wanted to store this data and I talked them out of it. It's just safer to be able to say 'we never even stored it'.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

I would have to agree with the comments made already.

In todays security/information aware evironments, i don't think it is advisable to store the details, unless you absolutely must, and then you better be 100% sure your solution is secure.

If you got hacked and it became public knowledge that the details were stolen, just think of the hassle, and potential loss of business through reputation.

I think the majority of customers now adays would prefer card details on demand payment.

Dave
Who am I?:
Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn|Bebo

I build a program for creating image in runtime. It build successfully
but while i m tring to run that program it generates an error

Project-level conditional compilation constant 'VBC_VER = 9.0,TARGET = "library",CONFIG="Debug",_MyType="Windows",PLATFORM="AnyCPU",DEBUG; ^^  ^^ TRACE' is not valid: Character is not valid.

If you can think then I Can.

Well, this is a build time error. Does that string occur in your code ? Have you tried a clean and rebuild all ?

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

Yes i try it but it does not working fine.

any solution please help.

If you can think then I Can.

Well, you might like to read my article on how to use google. You might also try to improve your understanding of the build process, what you say, is obviously not true. If it won't run, then, it cannot be building. However, I did type the error message in to google ( my article will remind you that this is a great way to find help ), and found a TON of posts like this[^]

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

I'm really confused. I just wanted to create a simple VB program that would work with a very small database and kind of be like a game with different forms.
So what I tried to do was find ways to access a database in the code (like when a user clicks on a button it updates the database then updates the form)
What I found was LINQ.
What I found was LINQ doesn't work like that.
Then I found ways to have the database source like the LINQ tutorial then use
Dim db As New DataClasses1DataContext
db.ExecuteCommand("yay I have SQL access and no LINQ")
however I can't get information from the database this way.
I'm using VB2008 Express
Microsoft SQL server 08 express

I don't care which database I use..
I don't care how I access it. I prefer using SQL cause I've had some experience with it but as long as I can select specific information, update, delete, and insert I don't care.

Can someone point me to a tutorial on how to interface with databases in VB ?

That or show me how to pull a specific piece of information out of the database, 1 cell.

Thanks

eRoarke wrote:
Can someone point me to a tutorial on how to interface with databases in VB ?

"Point"[^] Smile | :)

I are Troll Smile | :)

Hi,

Need an easy way to create/copy from a container i.e. Tab/Frame to another.

Given a VB6 program with a form with a Tab Control. Each tab has a frame and many controls (textboxes, radio buttons, labels, combos, etc. each of which is a control array. 1 per tab/frame).

We have a need to expand from our current tab max to about 20.

We need a dynamic way of creating a entire new tab, frame and all the other controls (in the control array).

I know that you can add a tab by increasing ssTab1.tabs. And the frame via a Load.

BUT it seams that you need to do each Control array separately. Requiring a lot of coding. (Each control from an existing tab would need to looked at the based on the name to do a Load as
for each CTL in Form
Select Case Ctl.Name
case "ComboArray1"
Load Combo1
case "TextArry1"
Load TextArry1
End Select

We actually have to do this with 3 separate forms.

Is there a good way to create/copy from 1 tab to a new tab?

Please help.

Thanks

QBTeKcom wrote:
Is there a good way to create/copy from 1 tab to a new tab?

Yes, the best way to do this in VB6 is by not doing it in VB6. You can throw a .NET form in there and dynamically add .NET TabPages to a .NET TabControl, using the Interop Toolkit[^] from Microsoft.

I are Troll Smile | :)

Hi all,

I am trying to protect software that I have written from being pirated (Vb for Compact Framework). Code is designed for Mobile Devices.
One thing that I thought about doing was when a user purchases software they must reigster it first, before it will run.
To register they will receive a number which they punch into the program the program will then write an entry to the windows registry to advise the program this software is licenced.
Every time the program starts up it will check the windows registry to see if it is registered or not before allowing full functionality.
Is windows registry safe from hacking?
Is there a better way to achieve a similar result?
How to generate the key-number?
Are there other ways to implement a protection?

Thanks for help and/or suggestions

modified on Monday, September 14, 2009 5:28 PM

Well man depends upon the software Licensing that your software licensing policy is PC wise or on Per users
their are several ways to achieve this but depends upon the policy , anyways you can encrypt your registry values as well as if its pc wise then can get the serial number of board or hard drive and can use digital signing as well as

Best Of Regards,
SOFTDEV
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it

Hi,

Thanks for reply

The program is designed to be installed on mobile devices (windows Mobile).
Licensing will be per user, but I have not clear ideas about.
Mobile devices have an unique ID identificator, but I don't undestood how to exploit it, and first of all, how to relate it to a key-number.
I read the Unique Device-ID of my device, but I noted that using different sample-routine, the result is a different (or differentely formatted)ID.
I not found on the web exaustive documentation or articles about.

Ignazio

modified on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 4:13 AM

If you can get an id, and your device is always online, you can tie a license key to a device id, and check it when the app starts.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

Hi,

Application is a normal stand-alone static appl, not an online appl.
I think that the device-ID is the equivalent of the board-serial number of a PC, and then can be applied same way to protect code on a PC.

Ignazio

modified on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 4:28 AM

There other ways to implement such security but this depends alot on what your software does, hows its installed, does it access the web (permanently/once), architecture, are there corporate licenses you will sell etc.
i would suggest you base your security on serials unique to a particular mobile device (hardware) for instance on cell phones IMEI or a devices blue tooth MAC address. relying on windows registry means an environment can be replicated where someone can try their level best to crash your software protection because windows is readily available plus your software must conform to certain rules to run on the system.

Free Idea:
user installs app, software gets hardware device ID, software sends ID to your server, your server runs algorithm on ID and processes payment, server emails software license code plus thank you for support... sweet nothings, user enters code and presto! access granted.
Remember that in effect what you are protecting are the license codes because technically thats what your selling right? So if a code is entered in any other mobile device it won't work because the algorithm run to decrypt the code and the device ID do not match. For single user licenses this is tried and tested on many android apps I've deployed but Obviously this technique must be thought out if you intend to have corporate licenses for thousands of devices on one bulk purchase Smile | :)

My 2 cents

Hi,

Thanks for reply and your several suggestion.
I want give some more details about my specific case and what I want obtain:

1)- My application not need installation, because it consists in a simple EXE file (running in Compact framework provided devices) to be simply copied on device.

2)- My application is not provided of internet access.

3)- I am interested only to sell single user licences, not corporate licences.

Actually I installed on my PDA, a software (not mine)that to make it fully working, I buyed a registration-key and I received it via E-mail.
To be fully working the software, I must entered in it only my full Name + a registration-key.
And then apparentely it is not read and/or to used the hardware Device-ID.
How works this kind of protection?

Ignazio

Er okay Ignazio,

First thing, the example you gave is a poor attempt at security. Why? nothing stops someone from simply using the same full Name + a registration no A.K.A key on another device! because your application is designed to accept any valid key, so if my friend bought a key i could just borrow it and use his name and I could just take the same app and replicate it on several devices, or worse if i crack the algo on it i could make my own keys to sell because the keys and en/decryption technique are stored locally on the device, not a good idea. However if this is sufficient "protection" for your app then hey who am i to talk... as for how it works? there way too many books that could best educate you on that Smile | :)

If all else fails u can also try

1. a query for a unique ID of the mobile device through lineGetGeneralInfo or such similar API i.e.TAPI functions. check out msdn for more info here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa458219.aspx[^] or make another small app just to extract that serial.

2. once your application extracts the serial/IMEI number of the device and displays it to the user, they can then enter it on say your website where they have a registered account. in other words they pay for the license and can then login onto your website where your server side encryption algorithm is running.

3. They can now enter the serial as displayed on the mobile device and receive an instant key unique to there device.

4. When the user fires up the application on their device, it will check the serial against the stored key before starting. This way you keep your key encryption technique away from prying curiosity of would be crackers. you will need to make changes to your application to incorporate security i.e. decrypting the key against the serial of the device. there are several readily available techniques to do this. in fact i think there's an entire .net class that can help you do this check out on msdn.

Anyway hope i helped a little,
All the best

Hi Samuraiii,

You helped me very much.

Then you suggest me to apply something like this :

A simple software key useful to protect software components[^]

Is it correct?

Thanks

Ignazio

Yes something along those lines would be a much better license protection system. Not perfect but much better.

hi,

i had a problem in VBA, and i really hope you guys is able to help mi.

i'm creating a simple system using VBA in excel, therefore i'm using the sheets as my DB. how am i suppose to call the things i wan.

2nd question

how am i suppose to link the data list or list box with the sheets.

Thanks really hope to hear from you guys thanks

Best Regards
Veon cheng

veon cheng wrote:
how am i suppose to call the things i wan.

I see you meant to type 'want', and that's cool. We all make typos. But, I still can't work out what on earth you may be asking for. I don't do VBA, but I doubt anyone who did, could answer you either, for this reason. Perhaps you need to explain more.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

hi

sorry about the "wan" thingy. hmm ok i'm creating a form in excel where the form is able to let the user to select the start date and end date of the report to be generated. therefore i need to know the code that is able to call the data from an excel sheet to get the figure as well as items in the excel sheet. where i want to use the excel sheet as a DB. how?

thanks
Veon