(very) Confused about PureBasic license

utopiomania · Post by **utopiomania** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:04 am

What's the point in having these restrictions at all? No matter what people use their DLL's for, they won't
hurt PureBasic sales one bit.

No one in their right mind would try to wrap another language and think they could compete, or be a player.
it's unrealistic, isn't it

techjunkie · Post by **techjunkie** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:29 am

Isn't is easiest to say "As long as you don't ship anything in the PB distribution with your executable, you can do whatever you want"?!?

Or have I misunderstood something?

roblos · Post by **roblos** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:35 am

Well I guess you mean you cannot include any file that comes together with PureBasic , but if you create a custom dll, you could distribute it, and that's something Fred does not want, above all in case the dll is used to expand the functionality of another language or programming tool...as far as I understood.

techjunkie wrote:Isn't is easiest to say "As long as you don't ship anything in the PB distribution with your executable, you can do whatever you want"?!?

Or have I misunderstood something?

dracflamloc · Post by **dracflamloc** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:42 am

You really dont need to ask questions of fred. Read the license agreement and theres your answer.

roblos · Post by **roblos** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:50 am

How can you consider that a license agreement?

"All components, libraries, and binaries are copyrighted by Fantaisie Software. The PureBasic license explicitly forbids the creation of DLLs whose primary function is to serve as a 'wrapper' for PureBasic functions.

Fantaisie Software reserves all rights to this program and all original archives and contents. "

That's all I got..so theorically no limit at all. You can do RPG MAKER and all softwares you want, scripting and so on.

Has the license ever been the same ? I'm new to PB so I have no idea...

dracflamloc wrote:You really dont need to ask questions of fred. Read
the license agreement and theres your answer.

Post by **Fred** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:51 am

Please calm down, this stuff is mainly done to disallow other programming langages to use the PB commandset, that's all. A game, game maker etc. which makes use of the PB sprite command should be no problem, it's done for this purpose.

Now, I answered 'no' to roblos because in his first mail he wrote:

The dll will be released inside my application but those who bought it could also use it as a standalone dll inside their DarkBasic Pro, Blitz 3D application to create forms (windows) at runtime for example, to encrypt files or strings, and so on... and one of the aims is to create just one big dll that does the most than having several small dlls.

I was just not happy with the ideas than others langage could benefit of the PB GUI commands without having PB. Nothing fancy in that.

Lyon · Post by **Lyon** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:55 am

You really dont need to ask questions of fred. Read the license agreement and theres your answer.

I could care less what Fred says. I am using your scripting system in my strategy game so players can customize the game, change graphics, sounds, themes and write their own "missions", AI etc.

My father-in-law is a copyright/patent attorney and assures me I am doing nothing illegal in any way. I have no worries.

That's all I got..so theorically no limit at all. You can do RPG MAKER and all softwares you want, scripting and so on.

EXACTLY!

Lyon · Post by **Lyon** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:56 am

Please calm down, this stuff is mainly done to disallow other programming langages to use the PB commandset, that's all. A game, game maker etc. which makes use of the PB sprite command should be no problem, it's done for this purpose.

Glad to hear it

Lyon · Post by **Lyon** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:59 am

Hmm... it sounds like I was pretty "right" in the example situations I outlined. Glad to know I am not losing it in my old age :roll:

va!n · Post by **va!n** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:01 am

in the meanwhile this topic is still boring... i think things are clear now... arent they? :roll:

roblos · Post by **roblos** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:04 am

ehm..my 'complete' first email:

"Hi Fred,

I have a question about the PureBasic license and dlls created with PureBasic. After having a look at the forums I thought you were the best person to contact.

I currently own PureBasic, PowerBasic, Visual Studio 6 Professional and DarkBasic Professional. I started my project in PowerBasic and Visual Basic, then I chose to buy PureBasic because I'm interested in a language with a 3D engine, as well.

At the moment my project is to create an Ide that includes a Visual Designer and an editor. I will create the Visual Designer and the source code editor in Visual Basic, because I have more experience with it and I'd like to have something ready to show, while the gui engine (a dll) will be made in PureBasic (originally in PowerBasic). I will include functions for INI files, cryptography, registry and gui at first and later on I would like to expand my project to create a level editor for DarkBASIC Professional and Blitz3D and also add some IA. Meanwhile I will create an analogue project only for PureBasic and Ogre. At last the final product could be something like an RPG Maker (but for different kinds of games, no just for RPG).

One of the aims is to expand original the dll in PureBasic to manage everything (but the Visual Designer, Level Editor and Source Code Editor). The dll will be released inside my application but those who bought it could also use it as a standalone dll inside their DarkBasic Pro, Blitz 3D application to create forms (windows) at runtime for example, to encrypt files or strings, and so on... and one of the aims is to create just one big dll that does the most than having several small dlls.

I am also considering to let users expand my project if they have a full version of PureBasic and add new functionalities to it. Honestly I can tell you more after I start working on it and realize if there are any limits.

Those who did not buy my application could use the dll in demo mode, with limited access to its functions. Most of the functions will be expanded from the original PureBasic equivalent, for example by adding support to transparent windows, ...

According to PureBasic license:
"The PureBasic license explicitly forbids the creation of DLLs whose primary function is to serve as a 'wrapper' for PureBasic functions"

and from the PureBasic website:
"But it's not allowed to release simple "wrapper" Dlls to include PureBasic commands in other programming languages."

but should the dll I create to be considered as a simple wrapper or not, considering I will also use winapi functions or other stuff to expand it. If so what is your advice? In case the product is a good idea, I was also planning to promote it in official websites such as PureBasic, TheGameCreators, BlitzBasic and let the companies get a percentage for the promotion thing.

Once again, what is your advice?

Thanks,
Roberto"

-------------------------

Fred's first reply about my question:

As long you use the PB high level commands to manage your things for
your own langage/game creator etc, it's forbidden. You can easily
understand why, we have spend countless hours in each commands to have
them optimized for PureBasic, we don't want the others langages/game
creations tools have them for free. For example, if you use the
sprite/sprite3d to manage your sprite environment, it's forbidden. The
same for the Windows/Gadget/Requester etc. to manange your GUI. Now,
if you write everything using the API (CreateWindowEx_() etc.) or use
DirectX directly, it's no problem, but it's much more work (basically
the work we did

.

-----------------------------

Post by **Fred** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:06 am

All is said then.