Protecting and Documenting Source Code

  • Article

To prevent users from viewing or changing the source code of your application, encrypt your source code and remove debugging information.

Tip   Always back up your source code before encrypting it.

To protect your source code

  1. Open your application project.
  2. From the Project menu, choose Project Info.
  3. In the Project Information dialog box, select Encrypted and clear Debug info.
  4. In the Project Manager, choose Build.
  5. In the Build Options dialog box, select Recompile all files and choose OK.
  6. In the setup section of your application, include the SET DEBUG OFF command.

Before you begin the distribution process, if you haven't already done so, you can comment and format your code so it has a consistent appearance and is easier to maintain. You can use the Beautify option from the Tools menu or the Documenting Wizard to customize your application documentation in several ways, including:

  • Capitalizing keywords and variables.
  • Indenting source code.
  • Adding headers to files, procedures, and methods.

To use the Documenting Wizard

  1. From the Tools menu, choose Wizards.
  2. From the submenu, choose Documenting.

You can also use the Documenting Wizard to create cross-references of symbols you've used in your application and to produce an analytical summary of your project.

See Also

Modifying the Appearance of Your Application