Creating obfuscated html output [page not email]

The problem with just removing newlines is that half a second in a decent text editor like Textmate restores the formatting, assuming there was fairly valid markup in the first place, by running it through HTML tidy functions.

I’ve looked around a bit and there are commercial solutions for this like this one and you should be able to combine that with modx.
On the other hand even with the most elaborate scheme is not very hard to get the html source from the web browser after decryption using some javascript. Its just a question if someone cares enough about the content to spend the resources and do it.

Quote from: rthrash at Apr 05, 2009, 11:07 PM

The problem with just removing newlines is that half a second in a decent text editor like Textmate restores the formatting, assuming there was fairly valid markup in the first place, by running it through HTML tidy functions.

Right, but remember that we’re dealing with a somewhat ignorant client here so all the OP needs is something that provides the illusion of protecting the code (kind of like the folks at the airport that will take away a 2" pocket knife but let you carry on a sharpened pencil).

First thanks to all for the contributions. As noted and elegantly summed up by Bob the reality is the no newline is not a secure solution but might relieve the client’s initial concerns, whilst giving time to more fully consider the ramifications.

I tried the addition of \r and that worked, thank you 0x7b [sorry to hear about your boot problem]. It also, unfortunately caused a mootools accordion panel set to fail  [all open].

The commercial solution is possibly worth looking at, given that there is a trial [again giving breathing space] so long as no one mentions DOM or uses Firebug. 

I did come across a php class which is a ’compressor’ that looked interesting though apparently it requires php5 and the client set-up is still at 4.x http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/4338.html I recall there were some obfuscators around for .net & asp but perhaps the lamp community is more realistic about the benefits of such an approach.

Regards
PS Just ran HTTrack on the commercial site above and now have the full text of the index page, which is protected apparently, on my hard disk.
PPS Just recalled that I’ve posted a site in the forum, which also uses accordion panes, and wanted to clarify that this discussion is about another client.

Quote from: traveller_ted at Apr 06, 2009, 02:37 AM

I did come across a php class which is a ’compressor’ that looked interesting though apparently it requires php5 and the client set-up is still at 4.x http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/4338.html

It shouldn’t be too hard to modify that class to run under PHP 4 as a MODx plugin.