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=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,71b4c0131a8a22a4 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news2.google.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!wn14feed!worldnet.att.net!bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada From: anon@anon.org (anon) Subject: Corrected version Re: pragma License ? Reply-To: anon@anon.org (anon) References: X-Newsreader: IBM NewsReader/2 2.0 Message-ID: Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 07:21:54 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.64.140.39 X-Complaints-To: abuse@worldnet.att.net X-Trace: bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net 1182064914 12.64.140.39 (Sun, 17 Jun 2007 07:21:54 GMT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 07:21:54 GMT Organization: AT&T Worldnet Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:16212 Date: 2007-06-17T07:21:54+00:00 List-Id: All Languages have features that no one uses! I think the primary group of programmers that use the Adacore or GNU Ada compiler kind of skip this pragma. The reason it was inserted in the language is that Adacore GNAT is maintain under the GPL licence. And the OSI/FSF group wanted the "pragma Licence" to be included. So, NYU (GNAT creators) inserted this pragma back in one of the orginal ADA83 version and will be there in all future GPL versions. This way, the OSI/FSF can try to enforce the GPL policy, but since Ada specifications does not enforce this pragma, neither does Adacore. Actually all languages that are maintain with the GPL have this type of feature. But with no Language specification for this feature then no compile will enforces the usages of this feature. So it kind of a dead issue unless you want the GNU to maintain or broadcast you progam package. If you look at GNU c/c++. fortran, or even the GNU version of java you will see a feature that emulates the Ada's "pragma License" in that language. Plus when the OSI/FSF finally updates its GPL to version 3, all of the sources that use GPL version 2 will have to be update. But the one that uses this pragma or this type of feature in other languages are automatically update. Updating source files for those packages that do not use this feature that is going to be one BIG JOB. Or should I say headache. And since, the linker does not verify the "License" of its files, this also denote that this is the main reason it was inserted. Plus, using this feature does look more professional. Because the line: pragma License ( GPL ) ; is a lot easier to use than to insert the following set of lines (GNAT version) in each file: -- GNAT is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under -- -- terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Soft- -- -- ware Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any later ver- -- -- sion. GNAT is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITH- -- -- OUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY -- -- or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License -- -- for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General -- -- Public License distributed with GNAT; see file COPYING. If not, write -- -- to the Free Software Foundation, 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, -- -- Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. -- -- -- -- 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. -- -- -- But most progammers just insert the larger set of comments. That way it spell out what others can do with the source. But these programmer forget that sometime in the future they may be requested to update this type of comment. Or have to deal with legal action from the OSI/FSF groups. Note: I believe that Linux will create it own license once the GPL version 3 final is out. Linus does not like the GPL version 3 drafts he has seen so far. In , Michael Bode writes: >anon@anon.org (anon) writes: > >> Try this example ( 5 files ) : >> Note: I like spaces so I know it will generate Style warning if compile >> with that option turn on. > >My question was not if the pragma works but wether it is actually >*used*. This is a Adacore pragma and Adacore distributes their very >same software under different licenses. So I would think it is >reasonable to assume they use it to help avoid breach of license. > >-- >No intelligent man has any respect for an unjust law. >He simply follows the eleventh commandment. >-- R.A. Heinlein