[sword-devel] New Windows SWORD GUI

[Chris Little]

Hi Simon,

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003, Simon Lagendijk wrote:

> >If you're thinking of using Sword itself (statically or dynamically 
> >linked) or intend to support Sword modules by re-implementing our drivers, 
> >using our code as a spec, (which I would strongly recommend against 
> >attempting), I suppose that removes the need to decide on a license, since 
> >these would obligate you to follow the GPL and release your work under the 
> >same license.
> >  
> >
> My approach is to have a specific (dynamical linked) DLL that 
> communicates with the Sword Engine (in a apart DLL), and with my 
> own-written OSIS DLL, so only the code of that specific DLL has to be 
> GPL. The reason why I am not sure to release the whole code under GPL is 
> that maybe I want to use some of the code for a project for school (in 
> Holland, to get your Bachelor, you have to do a project or research in 
> order to get your degree). After getting my Bachelors it isn't a problem 
> to release all the code under GPL or LGPL, but for now I need a licence 
> that keeps the main copyright of some code made by me on my name.

As Klaus pointed out, there's no problem with holding on to your copyright 
when you licenses code under the GPL.  The GPL is not equivalent to the 
public domain--it uses copyright as the basis for its protection, so 
SOMEONE has to own the code.  The GPL also doesn't require you to 
assign your copyright to someone else.  CrossWire owns the copyright on 
the Sword Project, for example (because we require that code submitted to 
CrossWire be assigned to CrossWire so that we can do non-GPL licensing in 
the future if we want to--at the moment, some portions of Sword are not 
owned by CrossWire, however).  So there shouldn't be any problem with 
releasing under the GPL if that's your only objection.

Also, ANY use of Sword Project code within other programs requires that 
those programs be licensed under the GPL.  That includes programs that 
just interface Sword through a DLL.

> >>Is it possible to compile the Sword Engine in a DLL?
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >Yes, but it's pretty much discouraged.  (Binary compatability between 
> >releases is not guaranteed in the dev branch.)
> >
> >  
> >
> You mean that binary releases aren't backwards compatible? But it would 
> be nice that not the complete program has to be recompiled when a new 
> release of the Sword Engine becomes available. Is there any hope that in 
> the future releases will be backwards compatible?

I don't know if we have any more big API changes on their way, but we are 
in the development branch right now, so it is quite possible.

--Chris