Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[Justin Mclean <ju...@classsoftware.com>]

Hi,

In the Radii8 donation I just saw that there's some code formatting code that formats AS/MXML code. This seems a good fit for Tour De Flex examples and this JIRA issue:
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FLEX-34481

Looks like the code [1] is based on and/or extends this [2] which is Apache licensed. Can we get confirmation on this?

It also looks like it uses pseudo threading code [3] which while is also Apache licensed is based on code written (of all coincidences) by Alex [4]. Given that Alex was Adobe employee at the time, can Alex donate it (I assume not)? Do we know if the author had permission from Adobe to release it under an Apache license? Do we need Adobe to donate the pseudo threading code in order to make this code work?

BTW Was that file the reason for the code ownership thread the other week?

Thanks,
Justin

1. https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=flex-radii8.git;a=blob;f=Radii8Library/src/com/flexcapacitor/utils/SyntaxHighlighter.as
2. https://code.google.com/p/as3syntaxhighlight/
3. https://code.google.com/p/as3syntaxhighlight/source/browse/trunk/net/anirudh/as3syntaxhighlight/PseudoThread.as
4. http://blogs.adobe.com/aharui/2008/01/threads_in_actionscript_3.html

Re: Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[jude <fl...@gmail.com>]

Comments inline,

On 9/2/14 8:31 PM, "Justin Mclean" <ju...@classsoftware.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >In the Radii8 donation I just saw that there's some code formatting code
> >that formats AS/MXML code. This seems a good fit for Tour De Flex
> >examples and this JIRA issue:
> >https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FLEX-34481
> >
> >Looks like the code [1] is based on and/or extends this [2] which is
> >Apache licensed. Can we get confirmation on this?\
>

The class [1] uses code from the MXML examples in the source or zip at [2].
In other words, I put some of the example code in the provided MXML
examples used to call the SyntaxHighlighter into an AS class and simplified
it's usage. So that is my class. Then I added support for Spark TextArea
using suggestion on the Google help page of the project at [2]. I had to
decipher what was suggested here [3].

1.
https://git-wip-us.apache.org/repos/asf?p=flex-radii8.git;a=blob;f=Radii8Library/src/com/flexcapacitor/utils/SyntaxHighlighter.as
2. https://code.google.com/p/as3syntaxhighlight/
3. https://code.google.com/p/as3syntaxhighlight/issues/detail?id=1#c4


Justin, you wrote:

>> The author assumed he had permission because it was on my blog and the
>> intent of the blog was to share code with the community.

> Given it's actually found in quite a few places, and Adobe doesn't seem
to mind, it may be considered public domain, but definitely better to get
permission.

That's a good question. There might be a law somewhere, and if there isn't
there should be (?), that states that if code is on a web page with no
license more than a certain number of years it goes into the public domain.
With trademark law if you don't protect your trademark then you are
implying that it is not something you care if someone else uses. We've all
seen the cases where company A goes after company B for using their name.
For example, Apple went after companies and individuals using "Pod" in the
names of their products or apps. They did that because if they didn't try
and protect it then the court would throw out cases if they tried to pursue
it later. Statue of limitations or something. Why are we all becoming
lawyers instead of coding?

Re: Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[Alex Harui <ah...@adobe.com>]

Every once in a while, something turns out to be easier than expected.  I
committed the official Apache-licensed PseudoThread.as to the
flex-examples repo.

-Alex

On 9/2/14 9:25 PM, "Alex Harui" <ah...@adobe.com> wrote:

>
>
>On 9/2/14 9:18 PM, "Justin Mclean" <ju...@classsoftware.com> wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>> The author assumed he had permission because it was on my blog and the
>>> intent of the blog was to share code with the community.
>>
>>Given it's actually found in quite a few places, and Adobe doesn't seem
>>to mind, it may be considered public domain, but definitely better to get
>>permission.
>Somehow, I don't think that's the case, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.
>
>>>  Not sure how easy that will be, it might turn out to be faster to put
>>>it in a donation to Apache Flex.
>>
>>Given it's a single small file I don't think the donation/software grant
>>process is required, just add it to a JIRA once you get Adobe's
>>permission.
>The main time drag will probably be in getting approval from the Adobe
>side.  But we'll see.
>
>-Alex
>

Re: Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[Alex Harui <ah...@adobe.com>]

On 9/2/14 9:18 PM, "Justin Mclean" <ju...@classsoftware.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>> The author assumed he had permission because it was on my blog and the
>> intent of the blog was to share code with the community.
>
>Given it's actually found in quite a few places, and Adobe doesn't seem
>to mind, it may be considered public domain, but definitely better to get
>permission.
Somehow, I don't think that's the case, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

>>  Not sure how easy that will be, it might turn out to be faster to put
>>it in a donation to Apache Flex.
>
>Given it's a single small file I don't think the donation/software grant
>process is required, just add it to a JIRA once you get Adobe's
>permission.
The main time drag will probably be in getting approval from the Adobe
side.  But we'll see.

-Alex

Re: Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[Justin Mclean <ju...@classsoftware.com>]

Hi,

> The author assumed he had permission because it was on my blog and the
> intent of the blog was to share code with the community.

Given it's actually found in quite a few places, and Adobe doesn't seem to mind, it may be considered public domain, but definitely better to get permission.

> At minimum, I should try to get it and everything on my blog explicitly
> licensed with Category A.

That certainly would be helpful and a nice gesture from Adobe to the community.

>  Not sure how easy that will be, it might turn out to be faster to put it in a donation to Apache Flex.

Given it's a single small file I don't think the donation/software grant process is required, just add it to a JIRA once you get Adobe's permission.

Thanks,
Justin

Re: Radii8 code donation + code formatting

[Alex Harui <ah...@adobe.com>]

On 9/2/14 8:31 PM, "Justin Mclean" <ju...@classsoftware.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>In the Radii8 donation I just saw that there's some code formatting code
>that formats AS/MXML code. This seems a good fit for Tour De Flex
>examples and this JIRA issue:
>https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FLEX-34481
>
>Looks like the code [1] is based on and/or extends this [2] which is
>Apache licensed. Can we get confirmation on this?
Don't know.  Judah will have to answer.
>
>It also looks like it uses pseudo threading code [3] which while is also
>Apache licensed is based on code written (of all coincidences) by Alex
>[4]. Given that Alex was Adobe employee at the time, can Alex donate it
>(I assume not)? Do we know if the author had permission from Adobe to
>release it under an Apache license?
The author assumed he had permission because it was on my blog and the
intent of the blog was to share code with the community.  Unfortunately, I
was quite naïve about licensing back then so I'm sure there isn't a paper
trail that truly makes it ok.

>Do we need Adobe to donate the pseudo threading code in order to make
>this code work?
At minimum, I should try to get it and everything on my blog explicitly
licensed with Category A.  Not sure how easy that will be, it might turn
out to be faster to put it in a donation to Apache Flex.  I'll look into
it.

>
>BTW Was that file the reason for the code ownership thread the other week?
No, that was a different issue.  Someone was working on a patch
potentially while doing client work.

-Alex