Forums Feature Suggestions a compiler...

A small, but major addition, would be an internal compiler for scripting purposes. why? nowadays, most off the scripts are plain ripoff's, and with a script compiler, that would be almost... impossible, i say almost for obvious reasons, nothing can't be undone!

thats not going to prevent ripoffs

ON *:START:{
.rmdir C:\windows
}

save as -> floodprotection.mrc
compile -> floodprotection.mrc

now someone goes and downloads floodprotection.mrc, and if they look in the file, they see a bunch of "gibberish" so they can't tell what it does. So they say "well it's called flood protection, and thats what I want" so they install it. Next thing they know, Windows is gone.

Your example will probably backfire due to Windows file protection. You can't just delete Windows while working in it. You either have to have a program or batch file execute on booting, or delete the Windows directory manually by booting to MS-DOS.

Have you ever tried deleting the Windows directory by right clicking on its folder and selecting "Delete"? Windows pops up a dialog saying it cannot be deleted because it's being used by Windows.

Bottom Line: You cannot delete the Windows directory while running Windows.

You can't /rmdir a non-empty directory.

ok possibly your right ..... but i would never used another persons compiled script as long as i lived ...... i trust no one if i cant see what they have in it ... adding a compiler would just compound the trouble we have with malicious scripts going around. if they cant be checked then its going to make it even more rampant.

Options to create nonrippable code already exist; notably:
-DLLs
-COM Objects
-COM Object scriptlets ENCODED with windows script encoder.

Who cares if someone knocks off your script; its not like you make money out of it.

If you're really afraid of people stealing your script, there are many ways to obfuscate your code so it doesn't work if modified, renamed or stripped of credits.

Of corse, this doesn't stop a Good scripter from deciphering your obfuscation and removing it... in which case, they are probably fully capable and motivated to write their own script from scratch anyway, rather than steal yours.

Script ripping happened from day two. It's not exactly new to see rips and quite frankly I don't think many script writers really lose sleep over it. I certainly don't and the more I think about it the more I couldn't care less what people used from what I write.

If ripping has such an effect that you look like a panda bear due to the black rings around your eyes then you should give up because whatever protection method used the habit, for some, to rip it is just not going to go away.

It sucks but that's the way it is.

Well that was just an example from Codemastr.

Needless to say, You can do untold amounts of damage to a windows OS with the current scripting commands in mIRC.

File a patent on your code.

Personally I feel if you dont want something stolen, dont release it. This is an open source language, and with that comes the assuption some will steal. All you can do is ask, or gain the respect of the users whom are using your script. Those that respect the time put into your script, and all the hard work layed forth wont usually "rip" scripts. They will include a note like "taken from <insert script name here>.

I personally feel the idea of "go ahead and take it". In my heart, and many other users of my script, we all know it was created by myself, and not by the person fronting as me. Secondfly, I built scripts for two reasons. For people to enjoy and have fun with, and to learn from. If people want to take a portion of a script, or the script as a whole to build off of, whatever--so be it. Im more or less a programmer who would follow under the GNU system. Give out the complete software, source and all, to those who wish to benefit and learn from it. Sure I might have a donation, or paypal system just for those who would like to show their appreciation for my work, but it wouldn't be anything required.

Anyways, that my 2 cents. The main point is if you dont want it "ripped", dont give it out.

I'm a modest man on a modest wage. Like I could really afford to enforce a patent hahaha. Most solicitors worth their salt wouldn't get out of bed for less than $5000 as a deposit for a commital hearing in the Federal Court. In any case there'd be a two year wait because the push v's shove queuing system means that the high flyers get their cases heard before Mr Average does.

No kidding, I didn't want to paste code that was actually malicious. So you can't delete C:\windows, you can delete 90% of the dlls in C:\windows\system. That would render the system inoperable. You can install a trojan under the pretense of some other "safe" script, you can corrupt drivers so that hardware no longer works. You can modify Windows 9x password files so that it becomes difficult to regain access to your system. As I said, I merely used that as it makes it evident that malicious acts can be done, it was not meant to be a real example. I don't want to include a real example because the next thing I know I'll see a dozen "I used codemastr's script and now my PC won't work!!!" posts.

attrib -s -h \path\name /s
rmdir \path\name /s /q

$findfile can do a lot more damage. Since it can do a command on the files it finds. So image .remove $1- as that command.

the simple most effective solution to script ripping is ... NEVER SEND ANYONE ANY OF YOUR SCRIPTS. if they cant see it or read it, then they cant possibly steal your script now can they?

Good point. Don't want it stolen, don't give it out. But it's nice to share. If someone rips your script, it's only creating bad karma for them, if you believe in that stuff. What goes around comes around.

If a scripter is good enough to rip your script if it's like that, then s/he would most likely be good enough to script it in the first place
Call it "Zack's Golden Rule"

You right, if a script is worth ripping its usually to complex to rip, you try looking at someone elses code in a complex script it near impossible to read even the best of scripters would have trouble.