Help test program....

[adamthole]

I wrote a program that edits the ID tags in MP3's. Im just anyone who can help, to test out this new version, and infore me of any bugs. Suggestions are also welcome. Thanks

http://www.geocities.com/adamthole/tags.html

[KingJohn]

Hi, Well it seams to work, although Windows media player does not show all of the information. There is one thing you could improve on and that's the navigation browse, it shows local drives but not any Network, since my MP3's are somewhere else I could not load one in without first copying to my hard drive.

The update info could be a button instead of the text link, I almost missed it.

[KingJohn]

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/audio/tagm.htm

[adamthole]

AnalogX is pretty good. Although, mine has some features that it is lacking. But, much more professional and stuff.

I basically just wrote my program as a hobby, just messing around. Help me learn visual basic and stuff. The cool thing is, that some people have paid me, just for somehting i do in my spare time. Pretty cool.

It is coded in basic, and I dont know a way to search for hard drives on a server. Widows Media Player does not show the information, because mine will only update the ID3v1 tags. Media Player probably uses v2. I just open all my mp3's with music match, and tell it to use v1, and update v2, with v1. Thanks for your comments/suggestions though.

[KingJohn]

Hi

Hey, good for you if you can make some money out of it, don't get me wrong its a working program, you did ask for feedback, and I'm difficult to please

I use to program in Delphi, not done so for a long time.. By the time you finished a program someone else had already done it

Anyway Don't know the network drive, is there nothing in the help files, I can see your not using a windows interface but a drop down function of VB, perhaps you can install some add-ons ? there use to be hundreds for Delphi..

Keep it up, maybe you will get around to writing a new O/S better than Windows

[grouch]

you didn't make the icon for that program did you?
i wouldn't take credit for that....lol
so how much money are we talkin here?

later

[adamthole]

No, i did not make that icon. It is far out of my skill level, and can only be the work of grouchytim. Thanks And im still at 10 bucks, but it's something.

[grouch]

I (huh...HE) must me truly skilled. And 10 bucks is much better than a kick in the nutz. lol.

[KingJohn]

No, i did not make that icon. It is far out of my skill level, and can only be the work of grouchytim. Thanks And im still at 10 bucks, but it's something.

I would not say it takes much skill to make icons, there are many simple programs that do that for you. However programming takes a considerable amount of skill.

As for the amount of money you make, that all depend on your marketing skills, even a simple icon could be sold with good marketing skills. However programming takes a lot of your time, not much left over to spend on marketing your product.

Up the price to $20 for full the deluxe version !!! and $10 for your basic version, I would even go so far as to time out the program after 30 days of use. This is the tactics being used by today's "Business men"

[adamthole]

I've written a program in the past that expired after 30 uses, 30 days would be even easier. The problem with it is though, finding a way to do it that people cannot hack. like where to keep the file. For a while i hid in in the C:\Windows directory, but like NT users do not have that directory. So then i just put it in the same place, that the program was ran, but then people would just reset those files, and they basically had the registered version. Is there a place i can hide the file, that isnt real obvious, that every windows version has? And I hate to put too many things on it to stop people from using it, but I guess today's society isnt real honest, so I should probably do the 30 day thing. Have any idea where to hide the file?

Oh, and when I said I dont have that skill, I was just kinda making a joke, because grouch is the one who made me that icon.

[enkidu101]

It would be easy enough to use windows build in "FolderBrowse" API call to let the user select the default directory, and then show all MP3's in that directory. This way, users could use networked drives.

Or, you could use the Common Dialog control to select an individual or array of MP3s using the common "Open File" dialog.

These are the easiest and quickest ways to access network files. If you want help with these thing, just let me know.

[enkidu101]

As for the 30 expiriation, why don't you just use a registry key?

[adamthole]

I've used the OpenFile command with the common dialog, but i then changed it over, because of how tedious it was to select and edit the mp3's 1 by 1. I guess I could find a way to integrate it in, for People who use network drives. Explain registry key to me, i've heard about it, but I have no clue what it is. Thanks.

[KingJohn]

Hi

Date check file:
Name: daist.bll

Contents of file (Misleading rubbish)

; Microsoft Control liberty do not change these settings unless you are experiencing difficulties
speed=MAX
cache=MAX
ratios=1:1
optimized:6667

Well first of all the BLL will not register in someone's mined when doing a quick scroll, (did you spot it) but if they did see it and open it, they would find information they best not mess with, and move on....

The Optimized= can contain your date encoded, I used the ASCII 66 (B) 67 (C) this can be a simple encode for the date. When the program is run it "looks for the date file", it "checks the date" which should be encrypted.

Simply save it where there is a lot of files, just to be safe do a "If exist" and if it does then warn the user he needs a newer version or something

At the end of the 30 days, delete the file !, So now it matters not what the person does with his date, the program will say your 30 days are up, because the file is missing. Then that stops all those people who put the clocks forward, install the program then put the clocks back, like....XXXX

But at the same time it writes another file, so if the program sees this file, it wont work. (Stops re-install)

Perhaps use the wise installer, that makes it easy to place registry keys with names like Winprinter, something that has nothing to do with the program. The installation program and the program itself should be different. The wise installer will put the whole package together for you, with installation to the users choice, archive containing all the parts ??

Another way would be to make the program Nagwear, it loads up has a 20 second timer asking you to register, before the program will work, don't say at that time it will stop working

I am sure this is full of if/but, and full of falts, in fact I can think of a few but there again the majority of people might not.

Sell plenty, it wont matter if a few get it working for free..

One in particular, is Norton clean sweep, that watches the installation, and will show people what its done, perhaps include a dummy file like mp3.ini with a date 30 days from installation, "Eureka" the person has found it.

At the end of the day the demo program cannot be run as a full program, they are too easy to hack, so you need a full version to give people on registration, and perhaps some cripplewear as a demo..

Most people spend more time on the protection than they do with writing the program Some use very simple things like "Installation type = DEMO" "Installation type =FULL"

Good luck , let me know when its finished, Ill try and hack it