After taking a break from working on the Serial Key Maker code over the holidays, I am now ready to move ahead with some changes that I have been mulling over. I have had a number of very useful feature requests, and I’d like to implement them. (Keep the the requests coming!)
Website Changes
First, I am working on re-designing the website. I have decided to change to and ASP.Net provider. I’d like to have a more dynamic web site, and server, for the changes I am planning for the future of Serial Key Maker. I have outsourced the design and implementation of the web site; work has already started on the new version.
Down the road, I intend to make a web service available to manage License Key generation. Users have been asking for a subscription model to Serial Key Maker where they can effortlessly add logic to their applications to call home and validate license keys. This opens up tons of possibilities for the future of the software – like being able to disable keys on the fly and having more flexible terms with the validity of keys.
So, the new server, and ASP.Net hosting is the first step in that direction. I will post more information on the new look of the web site in the coming weeks.
While that is going on, I am working on extending the API.
Machine Key Changes
I am going to extend how machine keys are used to limit licenses. I will allow the user to select how the machine code is generated – which hardware to use as a component of the signature. Right now, the Serial Key Maker API makes the choice, and it is static. Some users have requested the ability to decide which hardware components get selected. I will make that choice available via an overloaded method call in the API.
Valid Dates
The way demo dates are created and used is as follows: A generated license key is valid from the day it is created until a preset number of days have passed. I am going to allow the developer to specify which date the license key uses as the start date (in other words, not be restricted to the date that it was created). This will provide the flexibility to extend the range of dates used for demo license keys
Longer Term Plans
I am mulling over these plans for Serial Key Maker:
Extract Key Generation Logic
I would like to provide an API interface for creating license keys. Tthat is, extract the logic of generating keys from the UI and make it available via a new API. This will provide the benefit of programatically automating the generation of license keys. So, a typical usage would be to create a web service you host on your server, and have your application call home to get it’s license key, or to validate that it is good. This will allow developers the ability to dynamically disable license keys…or perhaps even extend their validity.
Hosted Web Service
As mentioned, I am comtemplating a similar service offering myself. That way you would not have to deal with the issue – Serial Key Maker would take care of it for you.
Compact Framework API
Finally, I intend to port the API to the compact framework. I’d like to make Serial Key Maker available to .Net applications created for handheld devices.
