Recently RunRev decided to also release their cross-platform development tool, LiveCode, as open source. For semi-developer and hobbyist this option allow them to develop customized solutions for all present platforms, including Android and iOS. The catch is that all customized solutions must be released under the open source rules, i.e it’s not possible to protect the solutions including any intellectual property.
Like other platforms it exist a group of vendors for LiveCode who offer commercial third- party plugins, targeting the IDE and also add controls/classes to solutions’ UI. When LiveCode Community Edition was finally launched we had two platforms, one commercial and one under as open source.
When the community edition was released RunRev raised the price to US$ 500 for the commercial version. For semi-developer and hobbyist it mean that in the future they will probably use the community edition. Given this scenario a new question landed on the desk; would it be possible to use the third-party products with the open source version of LiveCode?
Some vendors have already re-worked the terms of use for their tools that explicit targeting the LiveCodes IDE.
| Commercial Plugins | |||||
| Vendor | Plugin | Available | Note | ||
| Ah Software | PowerTools | Yes | Dual License | ||
| Ah Software | PowerBug | Yes | Dual License | ||
| Andre Garcia | AAG|Tools | Yes | Commercial, unprotected. | ||
| Bill Vlahos | lcTaskList | In progress | Dual License? | ||
| BlueMango System Learning | SQL Yoga | In progress | Dual License? | ||
| lcSQL Software | lcStackBrowser | In progress | Dual Licence? | ||
| Non-Commercial Plugins | |||||
| Vendor | Plugin | Available | Note | ||
| Andre Garcia | DBLib | Yes | Open Source | ||
| debrill IT-service | Animationengine | Yes | Open Source | ||
| TapirSoft | rIDE | Yes | Open Source | ||
| TapirSoft | rGrid | Yes | Open Source | ||
| Quartam Software | Quartam PDF Library | Yes | Open Source | ||
| Quartam Software | Quartam Color Library | Yes | Open Source | ||
| Quartam Software | Quartam Analytical Data Processing Library | Yes | Open Source | ||
| lcSQL Software | lcStackDiff | In progress | Open Source? | ||
| Vendor | Plugin | Availability | |||
| Flexible Learning | All Plugins | No | |||
| Navisoft | All Plugins | No | |||
| RunRevPlanet | All Plugins | No | |||
| Tactile | TM Controls | No | |||
The second table above shows new plugins that have been made open source and created as open source.
The final table above shows the vendors have no intention to provide dual license or open source.
I hope that the list of commercial plugins will increase however there are some companies that have said no, i.e. they will not make their tools available on the Community Edition. Not everyone see a workable business model for their plugins. I both understand it and respect it. If the intellectual property is unique than there is no way to make it available as open source or as a dual license (both a commercial license and an open source licence).
Kind regards.
Dennis



