Script Limits in 2.8.0 [was Spreadsheet]

[Richard Gaskin]

Roger.E.Eller wrote:
> I still believe it to be an unnecessary constraining factor in a
> developers ability to create dynamic code in their standalones when
> law could be used instead to enforce anti-piracy.

If a fly-by-nighter steals RunRev's work, RunRev could sue the culprit
for everything they had and chances are with someone playing at such a
low level it won't amount to a fraction of the money the company would
have lost.

The most effective enforcement is prevention.

Since the product was born in 1992, the method of preventing this form
of piracy has been scriptLimits.


> Certain application types need this flexibility such as AI. My
> preference would be either the removal of the limitation completely
> or to expand it to 25 lines (or more). It would still be limiting
> enough to prevent mischievous persons from stealing RRs business,
> yet broad enough that most developers could accomplish their
> goals when longer dynamic scripts are really needed.

Personally, I'd like to see it go much further and make the entire 
engine fully open source with no limits of any kind.

But then again I don't follow Eric Raymond's economic theories, and 
certainly don't begrudge the folks at RunRev a chance to get some ROI 
and earn a living.

So in the meantime, let's take a look at this:

Can you describe the algorithms that need self-modifying code, and how 
those are handled in compiled languages like C?

What's happening in those 15 extra lines that makes the difference in
usefulness?

I'll bet some of the folks here can find a solution that's at least 
workable, possibly even more efficient and easier to maintain than the 
caveats and migraines traditionally associated with self-modifying code. 
   ;)

If we find that yours is the unique circumstance where there really
isn't any way to take advantage of classic compiled algorithms, perhaps
you could take Kevin up on his offer and see what can be worked out for 
your app.

But I'd be interested in seeing folks chew on this first, if only 
because I love a good problem-solving session and almost always learn a 
lot from it.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
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  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com