[REBOL] Re: Licensing, components ... Re: REBOL FAQ updated
From: carl:cybercraft at: 14-Sep-2002 15:49
On 13-Sep-02, Petr Krenzelok wrote:
> *#051 Can REBOL launch other programs?*
> 1-Jan-2000
> Yes. However, launching other programs breaks the language
> portability. Therefore, REBOL/Core (which is intended to be as
> cross-platform compatible as possible) doesn't support launching
> other programs while REBOL/Command fully supports it. REBOL/View
> supports launching additional REBOL/View instances as well as the
> system default web browser.
> Carl - still the same objections? The question is either rather old,
> or you just don't mean it anymore, right? Noone here will agree
> anymore.
Noone Petr? (;
I've said this before, but allowing the launching of OS-specific apps
from the free REBOLs is a recipe for producing an OS-specific REBOL.
It just needs someone to produce a cool Window's add-on for REBOL,
("Here - just stick this in your REBOL directory and use `call
%cool-rebol-extension.exe' and you'll be amazed!"), and every second
REBOL script on the Net will be a Windows-only REBOL script.
Remember, a free REBOL will mostly be running free scripts, and those
writing free scripts are a lot lazier than those trying to make money
from their work. We see it already on this list with people posting
scripts that only work on the beta REBOLs, despite the betas being
available for only two platforms. REBOL's good, but it's not good
enough to change human-nature.
> Is that the way of how to lock us completly in the rebol only world?
> Locking library and shell were one of the worst RT's decision points
> and turned MANY potential Rebol newcomers out. At least for me, both
> following examples are one and the same:
> call "my-app.exe"
> open sound://
> while first will fail, because "my-app.exe" will not be present on
> linux e.g., the second will fail, because not everyone has /Pro
> license - in both cases script will not run.
Fair comment, but there's two different questions there. I do think
sound access should be in the free versions, (and encryption and
3D-support if it ever comes, and any other stuff you can think of
that can be cross-platform), just not OS-specific calls. If you need
them then buy Pro or which of the commercial REBOLs give you what you
need. I'd say the same for REBOL as a whole if it wasn't supposed to
be creating a Reb for the world to play in. For that to happen
though we need a free "player" REBOL so there's as little restriction
to entry as possible for the masses.
--
Carl Read
