Managed distribution of mathcad worksheet

[BG_9641770]

Hi guys I have developed at mathcad worksheet that wish to publish to clients, the client has Mathcad licences and therefore can access sheets or templated provided. 

Is there a mechanism to allow me to provide controlled access to my sheets/templates ?

I believe there are two options 

1 - REST API - access external data source to validate user credentials 

2 - Build worksheet template for HTML and provide control with access via the webpage 

If anyone has any experience with this please let me know thanks 🙂

[VladimirN]

 Hi,

You can also consider one of the options - this is the creation of closed areas with a password on them.

[BG_9641770]

Hi VladimirN 

I have done that for some hidden formulas, however what I am after is external access control and user validation. 

otherwise sheets can be copied etc and distributed in an uncontrolled manor 

Thanks 

[VladimirN]

You can take a look at this HTML example: https://support.ptc.com/help/mathcad/r7.0/en/index.html#page/PTC_Mathcad_Help%2Fexample-5_html_javascript.html%23

[LucMeekes]

If you want the external users to use Prime to open and work with the file, it must be accessible for them using Prime.

You can compress the file in a password protected archive (.ZIP, .RAR?) and provide the password to your external user(s). But then, how would you prevent that one of the external users, that you gave access to your file, distributes the file in an unprotected way?

Certain file types have an option to keep the file locked  (scrambled, unreadable) unless an authorised user opens them. I've seen that with .pdf files e.g. using the 'FileOpen' software interface, see    www. fileopen. com   . The protection can be very stringent, but I don't know if it can be used with .MCDX files.

Success!
Luc

[StuartBruff]

@ValeryOchkov 

Is your MAS project still alive, Valery?

Stuart

[ValeryOchkov]

MAS not (*.mcd) but MCS (*.xmcd) yes - MCS (mpei.ac.ru)

We say in this case "Еще жив курилка!"

The Kyrilka is an old children's game that existed not only in Russia, but also in France and Germany in the 19th century.

Rules of the game: the players form a circle along which they pass from hand to hand a burning or smoldering (smoking) splinter or straw and at the same time sing a saying song in turn. There were a number of versions of this song (for example: "The Kyrilka is alive, alive, alive, alive, not dead!" The player in whose hands the speck was extinguished was eliminated from the game.

Why MAS is  dead - it need Windows Server 2002 - security!

I think about Mathcad Gateway! But no time and money!

[BG_9641770]

Hi guys it looks like this one cant be solved but maybe they might add in the flexibility in the future will keep this post live as there may be a programmer with the same need.

Thanks

Ben 

[StuartBruff · Accepted solution]

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@BG_9641770 wrote:

Hi guys it looks like this one cant be solved but maybe they might add in the flexibility in the future will keep this post live as there may be a programmer with the same need.

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It will get probably lost in the noise in the Community.  Whilst PTC's Mathcad team do look through the forums, they do not tend to prioritize feature requests from General Population. If you have a subscription, your best bet is to raise a feature request in the Mathcad Ideas forum (or vote for one that's already there). 

https://community.ptc.com/t5/PTC-Mathcad-Ideas/idb-p/PTCMathcadIdeas 

Unfortunately, only those with a subscription are allowed to vote on a feature, not those who might have that feature on their "Reasons why I (won't)/(no longer) buy Mathcad" list.

Stuart

Not sure whether this would work, but could you give clients read-only access to a Referenced locked worksheet but restrict file download at your end?

[StuartBruff]

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@StuartBruff wrote:

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@BG_9641770 wrote:

Hi guys it looks like this one cant be solved but maybe they might add in the flexibility in the future will keep this post live as there may be a programmer with the same need.

---

It will get probably lost in the noise in the Community. 

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Here's an example of something possibly relevant that got lost in the noise long ago:

https://community.ptc.com/t5/PTC-Mathcad/Documentation-Documentation-Documentation/td-p/141647#159662

(Note: Links to "collab.mathsoft.com" indicates messages that weren't transferred over from the Mathsoft Collaboratory, the predecessor to PTC's Community)

[BG_9641770]

Hi Stuart, its common now most calculation sheet planforms have a REST API to validate user credentials. I can and have done what people have suggested with locked areas. However once published into the client there is not the flexibility to remove access etc. Mabey something mathcad can think of going forwards. 

I have accept as the solution to post in the Mathcad Ideas forum as there doesn't appear to be way for Mathcad Prime to do this function. 

Thanks 

[KevinFinity]

When I build my sheets for work, I use the following general template, from top to bottom:

Header - a closed area at the top of every sheet containing all of my custom functions and variables. I would lock this if giving to clients.

First page - Description of what the sheet does, and inputs

Math section - a closed area in the middle of the worksheet that contains all of the math being performed. It includes a lot of error checking and error messaging. I would close this if clients don't need to check your math.

Last page - a summary of what was calculated, with the outputs and what inputs were used to generate them. This page contains all of the error messaging as well. 

When a person opens the sheet, they see a first page of inputs and a helpful description, and then the next page is the results. It's easy to change an input then scroll one page down to see if it worked.  Since you can lock areas and password protect them, you can give away your sheets to clients and they won't be able to open them without brute-forcing it. If you want only them to access it, then put it in Dropbox or some other file-sharing system that's password protected, too.