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

[Troy A. Griffitts]

Regarding licensing issues: just because we use the GPL doesn't mean 
WE'RE restricted by it.  We own the code and can add a clause similar 
to: "linking against the .NET library is OK" :)

Having said this.  My intent is to continue to use the best tools 
available (Borland, of course), for development.

Having said THIS, I am not discouraging anyone from starting an 
alternative frontend for Windows using the tools of their choice.  We've 
had a few starts like Biblestudy, and hopes of other alternatives, like 
Bibletime for Windows.  I think this is a good thing and hope to 
continue to push common functionality into the engine so all clients 
will benefit.  And it's not bad to give users options.

Anyway my weighing in briefly on other matters mentioned:

Free personal BCB6 compiler: yes, I need codeguard to verify our work 
before release, but I don't think ALL contributing developers need this 
feature.  GDB sucks as a debugger (I can say this because I use it 
daily).  It is much worse than BCB6 personal :)  It's data breakpoints 
seldom work, and often it's LINE breakpoints and data inspection refuse 
to work, even with optimizations turned off.  But I'm grateful for it's 
price and all who have contributed.

Borland moving to Eclipse: Borland has always supported Eclipse and has 
just continued that support and plan to offer their customers a choice 
of this free ide for their enterprise components.  However, their Java 
IDE is far superior (sorry DM, it's so true), and they have publicly 
committed to continued development.  I wouldn't be surprised if their 
OpenTools API was replaced by the extension framework found in Eclipse. 
  They already offer their base IDE for free, and now that they are 
directing the future of Eclipse, if they can push their base IDE 
features into Eclipse, everyone wins.

http://community.borland.com/article/0,1410,32992,00.html


Regarding public mention of Borland's continued C++ strategies, I guess 
I can point to:

http://community.borland.com/article/0,1410,32990,00.html

And only say they're doing an awesome job listening to our feedback on 
their progress.  They've always been a developers' shop and continue 
that reputation in my eyes.

	-Troy.



Lynn Allan wrote:
>>(standard IANAL disclaimer)
>>
>>MFC is probably not an option.  The Visual Studio .NET 2003 license
> 
> names MFC
> 
>>as a "Redistributable", and then says,
> 
> 
> Also IANAL ... [note: I've asked questions to licensing at gnu.org and
> gotten answers in layman's English ... perhaps we should ask
> specifically about MFC4x.dll]
> 
> But there are several GPL FAQ's related to libraries that come with
> the compiler:
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#WindowsRuntimeAndGPL
> 
> I'm writing a Windows application with Microsoft Visual C++ (or Visual
> Basic) and I will be releasing it under the GPL. Is dynamically
> linking my program with the Visual C++ (or Visual Basic) run-time
> library permitted under the GPL?
> Yes, because that run-time library normally accompanies the compiler
> or interpreter you are using.
> 
> [[This isn't all that clear ... is MFC42.dll considered "run time
> library". My impression is "yes" ... which would allow using MFC ]]
> 
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs
> What legal issues come up if I use GPL-incompatible libraries with GPL
> software?
> If the libraries that you link with fall within the following
> exception in the GPL:
>   However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need
> not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or
> binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on)
> of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that
> component itself accompanies the executable.
> 
> then you don't have to do anything special to use them; the
> requirement to distribute source code for the whole program does not
> include those libraries, even if you distribute a linked executable
> containing them. Thus, if the libraries you need come with major parts
> of a proprietary operating system, the GPL says people can link your
> program with them without any conditions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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