How can we hide the html source code when the user tries to view the source code from the browser's "view source" file menu option?

Created Jun 23, 2001

Luigi Viggiano

[Short answer: no, it's not possible, since the source code *is* the response. If the user wants to see your source, he can. However, here's a clever hack... -A]

Yes it's possible, I've done it sometimes ago. You can make a JavaScript decoding algorithm executing it at runtime... But, it's very simple to reverse it for people knowing JavaScript...

The following code will hide everything in most JavaScript enabled browsers: I've tried it with IE5 and Opera5 and it works perfectly, but Netscape decodes it when showing the source.

Cut and paste this in an html file and open it...

<HTML>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.2">
<!--
  function decode(s,k) {
    var sl=s.length;
    var kl=k.length;    
    for(decoded=',i=0, j=0; i<sl; i+=2, j++) {
      decoded += String.fromCharCode(((s.charCodeAt(i) - 97) + ((s.charCodeAt(i+1) - 97) << 4))^k.charCodeAt(j%kl));      
    }
    return decoded;
  }

document.write(decode("gfpcabdbbbeflhbalbbagacclekdbchclaffhblbja" + 
"icbbhbbbkeccnadbibkblcabcfifkefcmacfjdpboccblbffmdoccbfbmblajckb" +
"oekfobocbaobabeflhkfkbabladcleoehbfadcmamejecaghffdbjbdaaclbpehf" +
"jacclbgaabibfglegcnbdaedfflbgakegclbcfabcbgcibcajbpahgkbebffacgc" +
"dadbgcjafdmbcabakecclbbbkboaccbbcfndodkajdcfgbfajcbahblboblhkfkb" +
"eeeflhfamejemaiclbgaffjaicjbnbhahffggfcefedfohddedhfkebcebbbabhf" +
"fgdchbhaoagclbdbjflcfdmbdbjbgepaabobdapaddmbbbebgeedebmbgaheedab" +
"aambmafgffbambabcciebelegfedbaaakbeaacleafmdnebdabcfgapacclbcfba" +
"caoclbfbgakeddnbdbbakeodkbhaffkbcckbcajbpahgcanbaagadclbffbakefc" +
"abobmbpabdabmffflcddbadbgbbahggakbmbkbedffnblbkebcmbaaabkeicdbeb" +
"ffobpcabcfgacaicaaobbbpafdffnbdbkeiahalbkbeajgffldcfmbccfffaebob" +
"ecnbhbbbkeeaifabablakcgacfcbgaocbagaabibhgmbmbffobpcabcfbblafdob" +
"cflbpagchacfbclajclbkbebpbedabaaffnagcbahblfkegajbobffobpckbbaab" +
"kekckbpbabeaddgacfcadalcjbcfhbpahgjbnbgaobhgmbmbffobocibhbjfkelc" +
"mbjbabkeddabdbhajbhgmbmbffobpcabcfhalaoclbmfhfgfiggagahafajccbme" +
"jefebckbmbbaeflhhbaalegffchamejemaiclbgaffmagcgbhbieiebbabaabbla" +
"jcebofedibocebobjfccccjbeaabobocgbdbjfjbgclbbaifjbcchalbdbiehgga" +
"lbpapakhhemejemaiclbgaffjaicjbnbhahffggfcefedfohddedhfkebcebbbab" +
"hffgdchbhaoagclbdbjflcfdmbdbjbgepaabobdapaddmbbbebgeedebmbgaheed" +
"abaambmafgffbambabcciebelegfedbaaakbeaaclekfhcfaodffadebobddmacf" +
"ifkefajbdbbbpahghchalbeacchalfjefeedbaaakbeaacleoekfmaiclbgalegf" +
"ighbnbbbdbjh", "jGuru"));
//-->
</SCRIPT>
</HTML>