[sword-devel] IMP file format

[DM Smith]

On Nov 4, 2007, at 1:15 PM, jonathon wrote:

> All:
>
> I just looked at the wiki page
> http://www.crosswire.org/wiki/index.php/File_Formats
>
> And under IMP it says:  "This proprietary file format is used by Sword
> for import of all types of modules."
> Since the API is distributed under the GNU GPL, how can that file
> format be proprietary?

I think the term is used correctly.

It is non-standard. It was developed by the SWORD project and as such  
is the intellectual property of CrossWire and under it's control. At  
any time, the SWORD project may at it's discretion, change the  
format. (Though I doubt it will ever happen.)

I don't think proprietary means secret and that it does not mean not  
published nor made Free (GPL) or free (cost).

Also, the inputs to the module creation utilities are well published,  
but it is deliberate that the formats of the modules are not  
published. The internals of the modules is not part of the API.  
People are free to reverse engineer them, but it is far easier to use  
the SWORD API to access the modules.

Just my 2 cents.

Working together for His Kingdom,
	DM