In a new post on phpRiot.com Quentin Zervaas shows you how to use ionCube Encoder to help protect the applications you've written and their source code.

One of the issues PHP developers face is that PHP is an interpreted language, meaning PHP source code is readable by anybody who downloads your applications. In this article I will show you how to protect your intellectual property by encoding your PHP source code.

With the help of the encoder to can convert your plain-text PHP files into something that only the end user with the correct loader setup can use. He includes a simple "hello world" example showing the before and after of using the encoder. Also included are the commands to encode and decode the scripts manually if you want to handle it that way.

Nessa has a guide posted showing exactly how to get the IonCube encoder installed right alongside the Zend Optimizer (specifically on a cPanel setup).

This is a common request we get for Ioncube to be installed. It's generally not an issue, but when you factor in other optimization plugins like Zend and eAccelerator, a common misconception is that the three don't get along. It's very easy to install Ioncube into a PHP installation that already has Zend and eAccelerator.

It's only about a five or six step process to get them working happily together with one "gotcha" mentioned about the ordering of the statements in the php.ini file.

Nessa has a guide posted showing exactly how to get the IonCube encoder installed right alongside the Zend Optimizer (specifically on a cPanel setup).

This is a common request we get for Ioncube to be installed. It's generally not an issue, but when you factor in other optimization plugins like Zend and eAccelerator, a common misconception is that the three don't get along. It's very easy to install Ioncube into a PHP installation that already has Zend and eAccelerator.

It's only about a five or six step process to get them working happily together with one "gotcha" mentioned about the ordering of the statements in the php.ini file.

When it comes to protecting your code, you definitely want to find the right product for your needs. Finding the information on all of the encoders out there can be a task in itself, though. Fortunately, EncoderCompare.com has been created to give you a quick and easy reference.

Whilst we would always recommend the use of the ionCube Encoder product to protect your PHP source code when distributing your product to customers and users, there are several other products available to choose from.

To help with this, we have launched a comparison website which lists the available encoders and compares their features. The feature set is standardised so that it is possible to compare like for like in a clear manner.

Currently, there's fifteen encoders listed with all of their stats - protection types, restrictions available, what OSes it has loaders for, the availability of licensing, and the pricing. There's links to get more specific information on each as well.

When it comes to protecting your code, you definitely want to find the right product for your needs. Finding the information on all of the encoders out there can be a task in itself, though. Fortunately, EncoderCompare.com has been created to give you a quick and easy reference.

Whilst we would always recommend the use of the ionCube Encoder product to protect your PHP source code when distributing your product to customers and users, there are several other products available to choose from.

To help with this, we have launched a comparison website which lists the available encoders and compares their features. The feature set is standardised so that it is possible to compare like for like in a clear manner.

Currently, there's fifteen encoders listed with all of their stats - protection types, restrictions available, what OSes it has loaders for, the availability of licensing, and the pricing. There's links to get more specific information on each as well.

Some PHP developers out there are very protective of their code for one reason or another. Sometimes it's a matter of their hard work, slaving over a keyboard for hours and hours to get it exactly right. Then there's the other reason - money. Of course, no matter what your situation, a new post from Justin Silverton might help you narrow down the encoder software field a bit.