From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00, LOTS_OF_MONEY autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,565d6a6c6ff7cb37 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-05-03 07:46:35 PST Path: newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!skynet.be!isdnet!psinet-france!psiuk-f4!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: GPL and Plug-INs and XML\Ada Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 10:32:57 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9crq6r$glq$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.170.200.133 X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 988900379 17082 136.170.200.133 (3 May 2001 14:32:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 3 May 2001 14:32:59 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: newsfeed.google.com comp.lang.ada:7118 Date: 2001-05-03T14:32:59+00:00 List-Id: Fair enough, but I have a question: At some point in the process of linking my app such that it will work with your DLL, somewhere there has to be something that scans over the interface to your DLL & makes sure my app is compliant with that interface. Correct? There *may* be some kind of copyright issues involved here - but certainly some rather convoluted ones. Id est, I have to read over your specification and "copy" from that procedure names, parameters, etc. IMHO, that would be a *real* stretch of the concepts of copyright, but then, I'm not a lawyer. I still don't think it would hold up in court and I'm wondering if anyone has actually ever brought a case. Until there is some case law on the subject, its hard to say exactly what is correct. Until you have at least one judge making a ruling on it, it could go in any direction. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ wrote in message news:t33I6.36036$Jh5.32810476@news1.rdc1.sfba.home.com... > A linker is a utility that merges multiple object files together > into a single executable file. That exe file could be distributed. > A loader takes a file containing a chunk of code and brings it into > memory, possibly relocating addresses and such, so the code can be > executed. (A "linking loader" does both.) So a DLL, regardless of > the name Microsoft gave it, is a module which can be loaded and > executed. It is not "linked" to become part of distributable object, > but is loaded to be executed. A DLL is basically the same as a > subroutine on a library tape, to be loaded dynamically by a program > that needs to use it. So, unless the word "linked" is specifically > defined within the GPL to have a non-standard meaning, it must be > understood in the way it's normally been used in software for the > last 40 years. A DLL is loaded, not linked.