Please Help - Web Application

[pacchiee]

Dear Friends,

 

I am developing a FREE Web Based Application using PHP-MySQL on a LAMP Server for the use of Co-op Societies in Villages to collect milk on a daily basis. Initially, the Apache will run on the local WIN-2000/XP machine and all files loaded locally till the project gets a centralized server (don't know how long it would take or might not happen also!). Regarding this application, I have a couple of questions:

 

1. Is there any way I can protect source code (since files are stored in the localhost)?

2. The application needs to get the input data from an Electronic Weighing Machine to a Text Field. I have no idea whatsoever how to get this done.

 

Thanks in advance.