Protect files for subscribers only

[TheDust]

I am going to be attempting to build a site where you pay to download reports. I can build the whole thing, except for I'm unsure how to approach protecting the actual Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, etc. from non-subscribers.

Does anyone know how to use PHP in order to do this? I need to be able to send users to a login page if they haven't signed in already before they can gain any direct access to these files.

 

[cLFlaVA]

You may want to post a pointer to this question in the PHP forum: forum434

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]insert funny quotation here.[/tt]

 

[ChrisHunt]

Seems to be some likely leads with

http://www.google.com/search?q=php+password+protection

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[TheDust]

Sorry guys... this should have been posted in the PHP forum. My bad.

 

[manarth]

I'm unsure how to approach protecting the actual Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, etc...
I need to be able to send users to a login page...before they can gain any direct access to these files

Hmm. I'm sure the suggestions of the php forum are well intentioned, but to protect the actual docs, you're going to need more than plain old PHP.

You can use Apache's straightforward Auth (.htacccess) protection (Apache - forum65) or you can integrate another apache auth method.

Another alternative is to make the docs inaccessible from the web (i.e. you can't type

http://example.com/reports/myReport.doc)

- instead, they're stored elsewhere on the server, and if requested - and permission granted, sent by php using it's file accessing methods.

<marc>

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Why not simply use the built in password protection features of Word, etc to do this, and only give the password to subscribers?

Dan