Category : Miscellaneous Language Source Code
Archive   : TSST20.ZIP
Filename : SAMPLE.BAS

DEFINT A-Z

' Sample program on how to set up your code for using "SSTPATCH.EXE"
' MicroSoft Quick Basic format

'******************** YOUR BASIC PROGRAM **********************
CLS
PRINT "LET'S PRETEND THIS IS THE FIRST LINE OF YOUR MAIN SOURCE CODE"
'
' The 'body' of your main program's source code
' would be placed in here.
' Many, many
' lines long.
'
PRINT "LET'S PRETEND THIS IS THE LAST LINE OF YOUR MAIN SOURCE CODE"
GOSUB ShowPatch 'REM to display the new patch.
CLOSE : END: SYSTEM
'****************** END OF YOUR PROGRAM ***********************

' Now, after the last line of code in your main program module,
' insert the following "DATA" lines. No need to leave blank lines
' between entries like we did (for clarity), but other than that
' make the entries EXACTLY as we have them. When "messing" with
' binary stuff, character counting is "everything".

' Caution! NO TRAILING "SPACESBARS" OR CHARACTERS AFTER DATA ENTRIES!

DATA "Customer_Name_And_Number"

DATA "123456789012345678901234567890"
'REM 30 Characters
DATA "1234567890"
'REM 10 Characters
DATA "12345"
'REM 5 Characters

' That's all there is to it. Now compile and link your source code
' into an "EXE" file, and then run "SSTPATCH.EXE". The entries in the
' above "DATA" statements will be replaced with your customer's data.
' You can then view the patch with any good binary editor, or simply
' add something like the commands in "ShowPatch" to your source code
' to display the patched variables on one of your program's screens.
'
' Once the above DATA lines are in place, you can patch the same EXE
' file over and over again with different information as many times
' as you wish. The System Date is always used, so set your calender.

ShowPatch:
' To display the patched data on screen, you could do something like....
READ X$, NAME$, DT$, SER$
PRINT
PRINT "'SAMPLE.EXE' - THE PATCHED ENTRIES ARE...."
PRINT
PRINT "Customer's Name: "; NAME$
PRINT "Date Of Transaction: "; DT$
PRINT "Product Serial #: "; SER$
RETURN

'The file called "SAMPLE.EXE" is a compiled version of this source code.
'Try SSTPATCH to patch SAMPLE.EXE to see how all of this works.

'**********************************************************************
'
'Note: Common reasons why an EXE file won't work after a patch:
'
' - You used a punctuation mark in your "CUSTOMER NAME" entry.
' Some of these characters will cause problems, others work
' just fine. The first time you try to patch a program, don't
' try to get fancy - Just enter Alpha/Numeric characters.
'
' - You left trailing "spacebars" at the end of the "DATA" lines.
' There must be NO other characters of any kind after the last
' quote mark on any "DATA" line entry (not even a REMark).
'
' - You didn't enter the "DATA" lines EXACTLY as we show them in
' the examples in "SAMPLE.BAS". If you are using Quick Basic,
' load "SAMPLE.BAS" along with your own program, and then
' "copy" the data lines from Sample.Bas to your program with
' Quick Basic's "Cut & Paste" feature.
'
'************************************************************************