posted
If you just want to prevent editable Word docs, make it a .dot then right click with read-only attribute.
This will not do a password though.
If you want to password the file, you'll either have to make it a protected pdf that will ask for password when opening, or compress the .doc file with winzip or winrar as a self-extracting executable to prevent your end users from *having* to have the software installed.
Or, you can control access to the file if you use a .htaccess file on the website so that only authorised people can 'get to it'.
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quote:Originally posted by dang65: What's the setup here Lickapaw? If you want a document that people can read but not edit the original then look no further than a web page. Save the Word Doc as HTML and stick it on your server. You can easily put a password on the page if you only want certain people to see it. They can view it in a browser, but they can't edit the content because it's on your server.
Is that any use, or would it be impractical in this case?
That sounds intriguing...
I need for the customer to be able to print the item off and fill it in as a form.
The form is altered for every customer - in order to prevent a landlord printing off, say 15 copies of the inventory form and using it for all his properties having only paid for it once, I stamp the address in question along the top of every page in big letters.
So, you reckon I should make a set of HTML pages as you suggest individually for each customer, and give them the unique password for it?
I like that. I really do. So there's definitely no way around that for the customer?
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posted
If you want to customise the document then you'll be wanting to use PHP again I'd say. Best thing would be to have the details (address, name, password) in a database and then slot that information in to the form you display to the user. A template with content filled in, in other words.
That wouldn't stop a half-savvy person from editing the HTML for themselves and printing it out. I really can't think of any way around that. Even if you post out a printed form it could be scanned and edited if someone wanted to do so. You'd need to start using those reflective watermark things they have on passport pages to fuck up photocopies. And even that wouldn't be too hard to get around.
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In that case, I might go with your original idea. Even if somebody can't edit the existing form it's possible to just look at the idea and make you own form, so... I'll go with the HTML or PHP idea and rely on people's technophobia. I think.
Thank you all!
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