Autoit - limiting the number of execution - user-interface

Question

I don't know if it's possible cuz i couldn't find anywhere.
I have created a GUI with some buttons to start things.
I'm just wondering if it is possible to:
limit the number of openings of the GUI
limit the number of executions with the buttons
limit the time range so that after certain point, u can't use it
Global $explain = "help~~"
#include <IE.au3>
#include <ButtonConstants.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <StaticConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
Global $explain = "hmmm"
Global $Form1 = GUICreate("Yay", 328, 157)
Global $Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("ID", 12, 14, 67, 20)
Global $Label2 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Password", 12, 44, 67, 20)
Global $Label3 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("hello world", 225, 14, 90, 20)
Global $Input1 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 76, 10, 105, 24)
Global $Input2 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 76, 40, 105, 24, BitOR($ES_PASSWORD, $ES_AUTOHSCROLL))
Global $Input3 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 228, 40, 70, 24)
Global $Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Log In", 76, 69, 105, 30)
Global $Button2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Connect", 212, 69, 100, 30)
Global $Checkbox1 = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("hmm", 240, 113, 97, 17)
Global $Checkbox2 = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("hmm2", 240, 134, 97, 17)
Global $Group1 = GUICtrlCreateGroup("", 5, -5, 190, 110)
Global $Edit1 = GUICtrlCreateEdit("", 5, 110, 228, 100)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, $explain)
GUISetState(#SW_SHOW)
While 1
$nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
Switch $nMsg
Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
Exit
Case $Checkbox1
If (GUICtrlRead($Checkbox1) = $GUI_CHECKED) Then
Global $hmm = 1
EndIf
Case $Checkbox2
If (GUICtrlRead($Checkbox2) = $GUI_CHECKED) Then
Global $hmm2 = 0
EndIf
Case $Button1
Global $id = GUICtrlRead($Input1)
Global $pass = GUICtrlRead($Input2)
WinSetState("Yay", "", #SW_MINIMIZE)
MsgBox(0,"","possible to limit #of Execution?")
Case $Button2
Global $exnum = GUICtrlRead($Input3)
WinSetState("Yay", "", #SW_MINIMIZE)
MsgBox(0,"","time limit would be nice too! thnx!")
EndSwitch
WEnd
Has anyone tried this?
Will it require intense coding?
Could you provide a sample if it isn't too bad

Answer 1

Good afternoon Pita,
Yup! It's all definitely possible to do! There's multiple ways to do so, I'll try to name a few.
A good way for you to manage these requests, would be to make a properties file to manage everything. Take a look at my example below!
Global $explain = "help~~"
#include <IE.au3>
#include <ButtonConstants.au3>
#include <EditConstants.au3>
#include <GUIConstantsEx.au3>
#include <StaticConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
; =================================================================================================================================================
#include <File.au3>
#Include <Date.au3>
; This is the directory that the temporary file will be stored.
$fileHandle = #AppDataDir & "\TestProgram\properties.txt"
; Checks to see if the properties file exists
if FileExists($fileHandle) Then
; START Check Run Limit
; Reads the first value in the properties file. In this example, it's the limit to how many times the program can be launched.
$runLimit = FileReadLine($fileHandle, 1)
; MsgBox(0,"Run Limit", $runLimit)
; If the run limit reaches zero (or less than by some glitch), do not launch the program.
if $runLimit <= 0 Then
MsgBox(16,"Run Limit Reached", "You have reached the maximum number of launches for this program!")
Exit
EndIf
; Subtract one from the launch limit.
$newLimit = $runLimit - 1
MsgBox(0,"New Run Limit", "You may launch this program " & $newLimit & " more times!", 3)
; Update the properties file.
_FileWriteToLine($fileHandle, 1, $newLimit, True)
; END Check Run Limit
; Start CHECK Expiration Date
$expDate = FileReadLine($fileHandle, 2)
; MsgBox(0,"Expiration Date", "This program expires on " & $expDate)
; Check to see if the expiration date has already passed
if $expDate < _NowDate() Then
MsgBox(16,"Program Expired","Your trial period has expired!")
Exit
EndIf
; END Check expiration date
Else
; If the file does not exists, create it and set it up
$propFile = FileOpen($fileHandle, 10)
; Sets the launch limit to 10. Change this value to set the launch limit
FileWrite($fileHandle, "10" & #CRLF)
; Sets the expiration date to a week (7 days) from the initial launch date.
FileWrite($fileHandle, #MON & "/" & (#MDAY + 7) & "/" & #YEAR & #CRLF)
; Sets the button limit for the login button to 3.
FileWrite($fileHandle, "3" & #CRLF)
FileClose($fileHandle)
#CS
NOTE: THIS IS JUST FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES! THE USER CAN SIMPLY DELETE THE PROPERTIES FILE
IN ORDER TO RESET THE VALUES AND CONTINUE USING THE PROGRAM. THIS WAS DESIGNED SIMPLY TO
GET YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
#CE
EndIf
; =================================================================================================================================================
Global $explain = "hmmm"
Global $Form1 = GUICreate("Yay", 328, 157)
Global $Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("ID", 12, 14, 67, 20)
Global $Label2 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Password", 12, 44, 67, 20)
Global $Label3 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("hello world", 225, 14, 90, 20)
Global $Input1 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 76, 10, 105, 24)
Global $Input2 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 76, 40, 105, 24, BitOR($ES_PASSWORD, $ES_AUTOHSCROLL))
Global $Input3 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 228, 40, 70, 24)
Global $Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Log In", 76, 69, 105, 30)
Global $Button2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Connect", 212, 69, 100, 30)
Global $Checkbox1 = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("hmm", 240, 113, 97, 17)
Global $Checkbox2 = GUICtrlCreateCheckbox("hmm2", 240, 134, 97, 17)
Global $Group1 = GUICtrlCreateGroup("", 5, -5, 190, 110)
Global $Edit1 = GUICtrlCreateEdit("", 5, 110, 228, 100)
GUICtrlSetData(-1, $explain)
GUISetState(#SW_SHOW)
While 1
$nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
Switch $nMsg
Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
Exit
Case $Checkbox1
If (GUICtrlRead($Checkbox1) = $GUI_CHECKED) Then
Global $hmm = 1
EndIf
Case $Checkbox2
If (GUICtrlRead($Checkbox2) = $GUI_CHECKED) Then
Global $hmm2 = 0
EndIf
Case $Button1
; START Button Limit ================================================================================================================
if FileExists($fileHandle) Then
$buttonLimit = FileReadLine($fileHandle, 3)
if $buttonLimit <= 0 Then
MsgBox(16,"Button Limit Reached", "You have reached the maximum number of times you can hit this button!")
ELSE
$newButtonLimit = $buttonLimit - 1
MsgBox(0,"New Run Limit", "You may press this button " & $newButtonLimit & " more times!", 3)
_FileWriteToLine($fileHandle, 3, $newButtonLimit, True)
; START OLD CODE
Global $id = GUICtrlRead($Input1)
Global $pass = GUICtrlRead($Input2)
; WinSetState("Yay", "", #SW_MINIMIZE)
MsgBox(0,"","possible to limit #of Execution?")
; END OLD CODE ================================================================================================================
EndIf
EndIf
; END Button Limit
Case $Button2
Global $exnum = GUICtrlRead($Input3)
WinSetState("Yay", "", #SW_MINIMIZE)
MsgBox(0,"","time limit would be nice too! thnx!")
EndSwitch
WEnd
Upon launching the program, a property file is generated and stored in the appdata on the users computer.
On windows: Press Win+R and type %appdata%. If you left the example the same, there will be a folder called "TestProgram", if you changed the name, it will be whatever you called it. Inside of this folder, there will be the properties.txt file (Again, unless you changed the name).
I have made some comments in the example code to help explain what I did, but I'm not fantastic at explaining things so please let me know if you need some more help.
P.S. If you do use this method, I strongly suggest encrypting (Using Crypt maybe?) the properties file to make it a little less editable and designing some way to tell if the user deleted the file.
I hope this helps!,
Tim