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From: axtens <Bruce.Axtens@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: SPITBOL question (GNAT related)
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:40:24 -0800 (PST)
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Date: 2007-11-20T00:40:24-08:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

G'day everyone,

I'm confused by some legalese in the headers for the SPITBOL routines,
namely:

-- As a special exception,  if other files  instantiate  generics from
this --
-- unit, or you link  this unit with other files  to produce an
executable, --
-- this  unit  does not  by itself cause  the resulting  executable
to  be --
-- covered  by the  GNU  General  Public  License.  This exception
does not --
-- however invalidate  any other reasons why  the executable file
might be --
-- covered by the  GNU Public
License.                                      --

What does this actually mean?

I'm curious because I want to use the spitbol routines in a commercial
package. The idea is to take the code, make it UTF-16 aware, compile
it to a DLL and then use that DLL in my employer's software.

I'm quite happy, and my employer is also, to release the modified code
back into the wild.

Kind regards,
Bruce.