Interim language guide solution

[Robert Brenstein]

>Returning to my computer after a three days' absence I very much  like
>to join the queue of people congratulating Ruchard on his
>"FWTranscriptDictionary". I think that for most of us it is more of a
>"final" language guide solution.
>
>The FWTranscriptDictionary is only 2.5 MB, whereas my modified Rev
>Transcript Dictionary for use with Metacard (see my post "Using the
>Transcript Dictionary in Mc" of Tuesday) comprises 4.9 MB (including the
>Docs Library, a modified preference stack, a substack with the special
>icons, the glossary stack and the quick reference stack).
>
>The functionality of my modified Transcript Dictionary under Metacard is
>identical to that of the Dictionary in the Rev IDE with the exception of
>the printing option (which could also be added).
>
>The modified "search card" of the revdocumentation stack is another 200
>K.
>
>As this "Metacard Transcript Dictionary" is fully functional - I have
>integrated it into my Metacard Menu Bar, alongside with Richards "slim"
>and quick (and very creative) solution - I could offer the stack to be
>uploaded to the new Metacard IDE site. Anybody interested could have a
>look how it was done or even use it with the original "Rev
>functionality".-

Sooner or later, me thinks, a dictionary shell to access Rev 
dictionaries in parallel to MC's will have to be incorporated into 
the IDE self since it is clear that most people will want/need it and 
it makes little sense that each of us needs to go through extra 
installation. But we should probably wait a bit to see whether Rev 
changes its setup with new releases.


>Richard had also raised copyright questions, which indeed did not stop
>him from extracting the text contents and more of the Dictionary.
>
>I think there are two arguments that may rule out any copyright
>problems:
>
>1. To use Revolution and/or Metacard or any part of it you need to have
>a valid license, either a Revolution license or a Metacard license.
>After July 2004 - at least - all Metacard licenses will have expired, so
>all of us will then hold a Revolution license of some kind.

Yes, but the latter is not quite correct. We may be expected to get a 
Rev license after July 2004 but we are not required, and some people 
may choose to continue without a valid license.

>2. As early as during the first development period of Revolution - I
>belong to the crowd of enthusiastic beta testers (before Revolution went
>public) - Kevin Miller had stated that the Revolution IDE will remain
>fully customizable like Metacard with the exception of the home/license
>stack.
>
>The conclusion then can only be that all contents of the Revolution IDE
>and all scripts in the IDE can be used and freely modified by any
>licensed user,  meaning also anybody who likes to adapt the Metacard IDE
>to the present and future enhancements of the functionality of
>Revolution.
>

Being able to modify for your own usage is one thing, but MC IDE is a 
parallel environment, to some degree "competing" with Rev IDE. WHat I 
mean is that MC IDE development is not exactly governed by normal 
end-user license as far as I see.

Robert