[sword-devel] Information for beginning Windows BCB 6 Developers

[Jeremy Erickson]

DNR wrote:
> Chris Little wrote:
> > A new from-scratch .NET/MFC-type app or a QT4 port of BibleTime (once
> > QT4 for Win32 is released) would be better options, I think.
>
> Dev C++ has a nice ide, and uses the Mingw port of gcc.
> http://www.bloodshed.net/
> I believe that the source for MFC is available with the platform sdk now.
>
> Might be an option worth considering.

(standard IANAL disclaimer)

MFC is probably not an option.  The Visual Studio .NET 2003 license names MFC 
as a "Redistributable", and then says,

"If you use Redistributables, than in addition to your compliance with the 
applicable distribution requirements described for the Redistributables, the 
following also applies.   Your license rights to the Redistributables are 
conditioned upon your not (i) creating derivative works of the 
Redistributables in any manner that would cause the Redistributables in whole 
or in part to become subject to the terms of an Excluded License; or (ii) 
distributing the Redistributables (or any derivative works thereof) in any 
manner that would cause the Redistributables to become subject to any of the 
terms of an Excluded License.  An "Excluded License" is any license that 
requires as a condition of use, modification, and/or distribution of the 
software subject to the the Excluded License, that such software or other 
software combined and/or distributed with such software be (x) disclosed or 
distributed in source code form; (y) licensed for the purpose of making 
derivative works; or (z) redistributable at no charge."

(source: http://www.microsoft.com/legal/useterms/documents/Visual Studio .NET 
Professional_2003_English_be8aa149-b0fd-494d-a902-07fdb2007b90.pdf )

In other words, creating a program that uses MFC and licensing it under the 
GPL looks just as illegal as creating a program that uses Sword and licensing 
it under a proprietary license.  It appers this would still be the case even 
if there is an exception clause on the GPL.  Using old versions of Visual 
Studio and/or MFC might curcumvent the problem.  None of those are "free 
beer" free, however.

Qt 4 might be better for that reason.  Trolltech, however, only plans to 
support open source compilers in the GPL version for Windows (partially due 
to the M$ license clause I mentioned above; that's where I first heard about 
it).  Something MinGW based such as Dev C++ looks like it might be a good 
option from what I've heard (though I haven't done any development on Windows 
lately).  In the meantime, Qt 3 for Windows can be obtained from 
kde-cygwin.sf.net (not official, though, and I don't think it supports the 
native XP look and feel).

BTW, did anyone see my message about "Miscellanious Sword API Questions" 
earlier?

-Jeremy Erickson