Check files on users computer

[augathra]

Hello, can I use JS to check for files on the users computer?

[reminder]

no

[augathra]

Do you know what language I could use to do this?

[reminder]

some active script like spywares

[augathra]

If I just wanted to check for an image?

[reminder]

u cant enter into other computers without hacks neither for an image
im sorry

[augathra]

How do web sites have alert boxes that tell you "You must download this first before using our site". The annoying sites you want to murder? Once you download it, they STHU?

No, I dont want to do this. I am building a game, and I want to store some images & other files on the users machine. I was hoping to make the user download the files before playing. Any ideas how those annoying sites do it?

[nekeno12]

It can be done, it's just not widely known. There is no tutorial for it, or support for it because it would grant access to knowledge on how to plant spyware into one's computer.

Good luck though.

[augathra]

Nekeno, can it be done with PHP/JS, if you know, or do I have to use something like Java or C++?

[reminder]

try search the install shield scripts!
its programmed in c#

[7stud]

Do you really think you can go rumaging around a user's computer and look for files like:

"My Tax Returns and Net Worth for the last 10 years"

"My Passwords, Bank Acount Numbers, and Online Trading Account Access Codes"

"Pending Drug deals over $1 million"

"Pending Drug deals under $1 million"

"Corporate Structure of my World Wide Drug Empire"

I don't think many people would be browsing the internet if you could do that with javascript.

[stymiee]

Exactly. It is a security issue and it makes sense that a web page shouldn't have access to that kind of capabilities. If you want to do this you'll need to get your users to download and install a special separate application to do this for you. If you want to do it in IE only (and thus limit your target audience) I wouldn't be surprised is you could do it with active X. After all, since when did active X care about security?

[DougBTX]

I wouldn't be surprised is you could do it with active X.

That would be a yes

augathra: I think your best bet would be to write a real application as a window (or otherwise) executable, which could talk to your script via the internet. Just tell your users that they have to install the game forst, don't try and just hack into their computerrs without telling them!

Douglas

[augathra]

Naw, Ill just keep all files server side. Thanks for all the replies.

[reminder]

Do you really think you can go rumaging around a user's computer and look for files like:

"My Tax Returns and Net Worth for the last 10 years"

"My Passwords, Bank Acount Numbers, and Online Trading Account Access Codes"

"Pending Drug deals over $1 million"

"Pending Drug deals under $1 million"

"Corporate Structure of my World Wide Drug Empire"

I don't think many people would be browsing the internet if you could do that with javascript.

i like the description about files on your computer

[Daimaju]

No, I dont want to do this. I am building a game, and I want to store some images & other files on the users machine. I was hoping to make the user download the files before playing. Any ideas how those annoying sites do it?

Give them a link to a zip file with the images for download. Then in their profile they can store the path to the images and you can have your script creating the links.
Say you save the path in the session, then you check if it is set, if yes use it, if not use the images on the server.

I think this is how all the browsergames do it

P.S. I come from the php Forum, so no js in my answer

[augathra]

Haha i like the descriptions too. Thanks for the suggestion Daimaju. I was really just trying to save a small portion of bandwidth, as I wanted a fairly graphical game. I could make an installer that goes to the Program Files, but the people that have not installed it won't see the graphics.

So this brings me to another question: =)

Could I use PHP, scrambled in one of those scrambler things to hide sources, the user downloads it, sends a MySQL query to my server updating their profile. Then they could play?

[augathra]

On second thought, maybe ill just ask the user if they want to store the files locally or use the ones on the server.

But if anyone wants to tell me if it's *possible* to use a PHP file like I described above to update their status, be my guest!

[DougBTX]

But if anyone wants to tell me if it's *possible* to use a PHP file like I described above to update their status, be my guest!

If you want to have a game running on someone'scomputer... I really don't think it should be written in PHP. If it was just text based.. then yea it could be possible. Otherwise you want something that can be run on the client side, say a Flash movie of an application written in Delphi or C# or something.Delphi and C# both have tools you could use to talk to a server running a PHP script, so you could still do authentication and stuff server side using PHP.

Have a look at http://www.globulos.com/ for an example of a game written in Flash which talks to a server. Your server could be a PHP script.

hth,
Douglas

[augathra]

It is mostly text based. Ill look into making it client anyways. Thanks