Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!lovejoya
From: lovejoya@netcom.com (Alan Lovejoy)
Subject: Re: Compiler in delivery mode
Message-ID: <lovejoyaD2KHHK.68A@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1]
References: <ab409ab31a0210043a8d@[192.55.204.252]>
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 20:41:43 GMT
Lines: 49

David Buell (dbuell@QKS.COM) wrote:
>Patrick et al:

>>A difficult issue for the Smalltalk provider is how do you license the
>>compiler for runtime and yet prevent the developer from providing a competing
>>product? Where do you draw the line?
>>
>>(What does QKS' license say?)

>Our license agreement states that you are not allowed to use the
>SmalltalkAgents development tools to build any tools that generate code
>that runs on the Agents Object System.

Does this mean only that a "runtime" image employed by an end-user cannot
generate, compile and  then execute STA methods, or does the prohibition
also apply to the holder and user of a development license?

How  would you define "generate  code?"  Would this  apply  only to source
code  that must be compiled, or would  it also apply to the generation of
STA  "bytecodes" by other means than  source code compilation?

What about a runtime image that compiles pre-generated  and/or pre-written
code? That is, the source  code  is prepared during product development
but only compiled as-needed at runtime (assuming  that the   product   has
some way to prevent the end-user from compiling any arbitrary code stream).
Would such a scheme  be prohibited by the language of your license
agreement?

>Regards,

>Dave

>**************************************
>"I'm sure it's a bug in our software,
>    but let's explore some other possibilities..."

>David Buell
>VP, Product Engineering
>(aka SmalltalkAgents Customer Advocate)
>Quasar Knowledge Systems (QKS)
>9818 Parkwood Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814
>Internet: dbuell@QKS.com, WWW: http://www.qks.com/
>Tel: (301) 530-4853 Fax: (301) 530-5712
>**************************************
-- 
--
Alan Lovejoy | INTERNET: lovejoya@netcom.com | Smalltalk-80 Consultant
"Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave 
at the closing of the day.  Rage, rage at the dying of the light!"
