license issues (was mystery exception)

[Alex Rice]

On Tuesday, March 11, 2003, at 06:49  AM, Ben Rubinstein wrote:
>
> So... if you use 'do', or change the script of objects on the fly, be 
> aware
> that code which works fine in the IDE will be subject to limitations 
> in a
> standalone.

Ack! I did not know this. Just to see if I am understanding correctly: 
as long as no single call to "do", or "value" (or other functions that 
compile transcript on the fly),  no single call exceeds 10 lines them 
I'm OK in a standalone?

Now I see this issue IS mentioned in the Transcript Dictionary for the 
do command. Now I have read the License Agreement.rtf and it's pretty 
clearly spelled out there.

But RunRev, you are covered in the License Agreement; why cripple 
standalone compiled apps? Clearly the feature-limited Starter Kit IDE 
is a good thing. I just don't fully understand why the need to cripple 
standalone apps. Just to provide active insurance for what the license 
permits- so nobody will go out and create a Transcript interpreter with 
a cool IDE?

I feel kinda dumb for using Revolution for ~5 months and not realizing 
this until now. Here are some thoughts.

1) I think it's ever-so-slightly misleading for Runrev to claim on 
their website, feature list:
"Royalty-free distribution"
"Pay once, deliver anywhere."
Maybe that should be amended - "subject to certain dynamic compiling 
features."

2) Make the Distribution Builder somewhat aware of the issue. "Hrm, you 
seem do be using the do command a lot. Are you aware of license 
restrictions on standalone apps and compiling scripts?"

3) This should be in red block letters at the top of the documentation 
for the do command, for lazy folk like me who don't always read license 
agreements. ;-)

Alex Rice, Software Developer
Architectural Research Consultants, Inc.
alrice at ARCplanning.com
alrice at swcp.com