GObject port of W3C Widget parser

[Alexandre Mazari <sc...@gmail.com>]

Hi there !

I'd like to inform you about the Vala/GObject port of the W3C Widgets
parser I am currently working on.
This port will allow the use of the parser within "native"
applications. I choosed Vala for the similarity of its syntax with
java.
This is straight port using
 * libxml2 for parsing instead of JDOM
 * glib/gio GFile for file handling instead of java.io
 * libuuid for GUID generation instead of the custom code found in
util/RandomGUID.java
 * libsoup for HTTP client instead of apache commons

I was wondering if such a port is fine by you, and what are my
obligations regarding licencing : should the code stay Apache licenced
? If so, is it ok to depends on LGPL libraries ? Will it be legally
usable by GPL-licenced applications ?

Anyway, thanks for your great work, it saved me tons of time !

Regards,

Alexandre Mazari

-- 
"If you open your mind too much, you brain will fall out"
Tim Minchin

Re: GObject port of W3C Widget parser

[Ate Douma <at...@douma.nu>]

On 16/02/11 11:34, Scott Wilson wrote:
>
> On 16 Feb 2011, at 10:02, Alexandre Mazari wrote:
>
>> Hi there !
>>
>> I'd like to inform you about the Vala/GObject port of the W3C Widgets
>> parser I am currently working on.
>> This port will allow the use of the parser within "native"
>> applications. I choosed Vala for the similarity of its syntax with
>> java.
>> This is straight port using
>> * libxml2 for parsing instead of JDOM
>> * glib/gio GFile for file handling instead of java.io
>> * libuuid for GUID generation instead of the custom code found in
>> util/RandomGUID.java
>> * libsoup for HTTP client instead of apache commons
>
> Cool!
>>
>> I was wondering if such a port is fine by you,
>
> Definitely!
>
>> and what are my
>> obligations regarding licencing : should the code stay Apache licenced
>> ? If so, is it ok to depends on LGPL libraries ? Will it be legally
>> usable by GPL-licenced applications ?
>
> It depends on how you want to distribute it. In general code using the ASL is compatible with GPL, but not vice-versa.
The FSF has declared ASL 2.0 to be compatible with GPL3, but GPL (any version) is not compatible with ASL.

For more concrete / definitive description of what licenses are and are not allowed at the ASF,
see: http://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html

>
> If you'd like to contribute the core code to Wookie (e.g. in parser/vala/) then it has to use a compatible license. You might also be able to contribute your source code to Apache with an Apache License but then create a binary distribution with dependent LGPL libraries hosted externally (e.g. Apache Extras or your own Github/GoogleCode/SF site)?
To be able to contribute such core code to Wookie it also cannot have concrete code dependencies (e.g. api wise) on non-compatible licensed 
external code/libraries, even if these would be hosted externally.
LGPL licensed code/libraries are not compatible and cannot be brought into Apache nor released from Apache.
If you'll need such direct binding to non-compatible dependencies within core code you'll either have to rewrite them to become independent 
or properly decoupled to be able to bring this within Wookie itself.

Note that it might be fine to combine ASL and LGPL within one project, just not at Apache.
Hosting such a project at Apache Extras (http://www.apache-extras.org) would be fine though, with the added benefit of strong affiliation 
with a related Apache project.

Regards,

Ate

>
> I wonder if this something our mentors here might be able to comment on..?
>
>>
>> Anyway, thanks for your great work, it saved me tons of time !
>
> Sounds great!
>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Alexandre Mazari
>>
>> --
>> "If you open your mind too much, you brain will fall out"
>> Tim Minchin
>

Re: GObject port of W3C Widget parser

[Scott Wilson <sc...@gmail.com>]

On 16 Feb 2011, at 10:02, Alexandre Mazari wrote:

> Hi there !
> 
> I'd like to inform you about the Vala/GObject port of the W3C Widgets
> parser I am currently working on.
> This port will allow the use of the parser within "native"
> applications. I choosed Vala for the similarity of its syntax with
> java.
> This is straight port using
> * libxml2 for parsing instead of JDOM
> * glib/gio GFile for file handling instead of java.io
> * libuuid for GUID generation instead of the custom code found in
> util/RandomGUID.java
> * libsoup for HTTP client instead of apache commons

Cool!
> 
> I was wondering if such a port is fine by you,

Definitely!

> and what are my
> obligations regarding licencing : should the code stay Apache licenced
> ? If so, is it ok to depends on LGPL libraries ? Will it be legally
> usable by GPL-licenced applications ?

It depends on how you want to distribute it. In general code using the ASL is compatible with GPL, but not vice-versa.

If you'd like to contribute the core code to Wookie (e.g. in parser/vala/) then it has to use a compatible license. You might also be able to contribute your source code to Apache with an Apache License but then create a binary distribution with dependent LGPL libraries hosted externally (e.g. Apache Extras or your own Github/GoogleCode/SF site)?

I wonder if this something our mentors here might be able to comment on..?

> 
> Anyway, thanks for your great work, it saved me tons of time !

Sounds great! 

> 
> Regards,
> 
> Alexandre Mazari
> 
> -- 
> "If you open your mind too much, you brain will fall out"
> Tim Minchin