Dave Kilroy2 wrote:
Yes I agree, I don't see how RunRev will get any reward for having a server
version - and if they don't get any reward for it then it may be less likely
to be developed on an on-going basis.
When you think about it, LiveCode Server isn't much different from the
main engine: the merge function is extended and implicit, and the GUI
handling is turned off automatically so you don't need to pass "-ui" to it.
With the if-defs they use to compile it already set up, I can't imagine
it's much work to maintain it going forward.
Or maybe RunRev are happy to have the server version as a loss-leader?
Yes.
The AGPL was created for one fairly recent project, Affero (the "A" in
"AGPL") in 2007.
It's useful if that's what you need, but it's one of the least commonly
used licenses around, often considered too strict for most projects.
I'd be surprised if as many as a dozen other projects have adopted it
thus far.
Meanwhile, MySQL has flourished under GPL. Most of us use it for free,
but when you need to bundle your app with it then you get to have a
conversation with Oracle's licensing department; same with LiveCode Server.
LiveCode is nearly unmatched for making multi-platform GUI apps, but
LiveCode server doesn't have nearly the competitive advantages over
readily-available alternatives.
PHP, for example, has a vast community, uncountable libraries, books,
and tutorials available, and is already both multi-threaded and 64-bit
compatible. Moreover, PHP is available for free under the very
permissive PHP License, and is pre-installed on most commercial hosting
systems.
LiveCode's syntax has some nice conveniences, but for serious work its
main benefit is for those who need to share code used also in
LiveCode-based GUI apps, or to rely on coding skills acquired from using
LiveCode in GUIs.
As a for-fee product, LiveCode Server is a hard sell. But available for
free use under GPL, it would at last have a chance to enchant newcomers
with its unusually inviting syntax.
--
Richard Gaskin
Fourth World
LiveCode training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
Webzine for LiveCode developers: http://www.LiveCodeJournal.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FourthWorldSys
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