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Posted to legal-discuss@apache.org by Jukka Zitting <ju...@gmail.com> on 2012/02/19 16:32:47 UTC
License footer?
Hi,
Our policy [1] says that "Each source file should include the
following license header ..."
Inspired the discussion in [2] and my recent work with languages that
don't put dozens of lines of import statements and other less
interesting stuff at the beginning of a source file, I started
questioning [3] the practice of putting such license notes as headers
at the *beginning* of all source files. The result of this practice is
that whenever you open a source file in a non-folding editor or
browser, you start by scrolling down to find the actual source code.
It would be nicer if the most frequently accessed content (i.e. the
actual source) was right there at the beginning if the file.
So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
to find license info at the beginning of a file.
WDYT?
[1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html
[2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-124
[3] https://twitter.com/#!/jukkaz/status/169068322611146753
BR,
Jukka Zitting
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Re: License footer?
Posted by Mark Struberg <st...@yahoo.de>.
Usually a document is being read top-down, means if you open it, you will FIRST see what license is being used.
Being aware of the license is very important, thus it's at the start of the document.
Also almost all editors nowadays allow to automatically collapse comments.
So I'd see no reason to change anything.
LieGrue,
strub
----- Original Message -----
> From: Lawrence Rosen <lr...@rosenlaw.com>
> To: legal-discuss@apache.org
> Cc:
> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 5:07 PM
> Subject: RE: License footer?
>
> Jukka Zitting suggested:
>> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
>> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
>> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
>> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
>> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
>> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>
> It sounds good to me. /Larry
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jukka Zitting [mailto:jukka.zitting@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 7:33 AM
>> To: Legal Discuss
>> Subject: License footer?
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Our policy [1] says that "Each source file should include the
>> following license header ..."
>>
>> Inspired the discussion in [2] and my recent work with languages that
>> don't put dozens of lines of import statements and other less
>> interesting stuff at the beginning of a source file, I started
>> questioning [3] the practice of putting such license notes as headers
>> at the *beginning* of all source files. The result of this practice is
>> that whenever you open a source file in a non-folding editor or
>> browser, you start by scrolling down to find the actual source code.
>> It would be nicer if the most frequently accessed content (i.e. the
>> actual source) was right there at the beginning if the file.
>>
>> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
>> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
>> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
>> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
>> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
>> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>>
>> WDYT?
>>
>> [1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html
>> [2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-124
>> [3] https://twitter.com/#!/jukkaz/status/169068322611146753
>>
>> BR,
>>
>> Jukka Zitting
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: legal-discuss-unsubscribe@apache.org
>> For additional commands, e-mail: legal-discuss-help@apache.org
>
>
>
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Re: License footer?
Posted by Joe Schaefer <jo...@yahoo.com>.
FWIW I've been doing "footers" for years with any scripts
I write here.
----- Original Message -----
> From: Lawrence Rosen <lr...@rosenlaw.com>
> To: legal-discuss@apache.org
> Cc:
> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 11:07 AM
> Subject: RE: License footer?
>
> Jukka Zitting suggested:
>> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
>> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
>> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
>> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
>> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
>> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>
> It sounds good to me. /Larry
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jukka Zitting [mailto:jukka.zitting@gmail.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 7:33 AM
>> To: Legal Discuss
>> Subject: License footer?
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Our policy [1] says that "Each source file should include the
>> following license header ..."
>>
>> Inspired the discussion in [2] and my recent work with languages that
>> don't put dozens of lines of import statements and other less
>> interesting stuff at the beginning of a source file, I started
>> questioning [3] the practice of putting such license notes as headers
>> at the *beginning* of all source files. The result of this practice is
>> that whenever you open a source file in a non-folding editor or
>> browser, you start by scrolling down to find the actual source code.
>> It would be nicer if the most frequently accessed content (i.e. the
>> actual source) was right there at the beginning if the file.
>>
>> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
>> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
>> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
>> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
>> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
>> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>>
>> WDYT?
>>
>> [1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html
>> [2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-124
>> [3] https://twitter.com/#!/jukkaz/status/169068322611146753
>>
>> BR,
>>
>> Jukka Zitting
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: legal-discuss-unsubscribe@apache.org
>> For additional commands, e-mail: legal-discuss-help@apache.org
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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RE: License footer?
Posted by Lawrence Rosen <lr...@rosenlaw.com>.
Jukka Zitting suggested:
> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
It sounds good to me. /Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jukka Zitting [mailto:jukka.zitting@gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2012 7:33 AM
> To: Legal Discuss
> Subject: License footer?
>
> Hi,
>
> Our policy [1] says that "Each source file should include the
> following license header ..."
>
> Inspired the discussion in [2] and my recent work with languages that
> don't put dozens of lines of import statements and other less
> interesting stuff at the beginning of a source file, I started
> questioning [3] the practice of putting such license notes as headers
> at the *beginning* of all source files. The result of this practice is
> that whenever you open a source file in a non-folding editor or
> browser, you start by scrolling down to find the actual source code.
> It would be nicer if the most frequently accessed content (i.e. the
> actual source) was right there at the beginning if the file.
>
> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>
> WDYT?
>
> [1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html
> [2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-124
> [3] https://twitter.com/#!/jukkaz/status/169068322611146753
>
> BR,
>
> Jukka Zitting
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: legal-discuss-unsubscribe@apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: legal-discuss-help@apache.org
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Re: License footer?
Posted by sebb <se...@gmail.com>.
On 19 February 2012 15:32, Jukka Zitting <ju...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Our policy [1] says that "Each source file should include the
> following license header ..."
>
> Inspired the discussion in [2] and my recent work with languages that
> don't put dozens of lines of import statements and other less
> interesting stuff at the beginning of a source file, I started
> questioning [3] the practice of putting such license notes as headers
> at the *beginning* of all source files. The result of this practice is
> that whenever you open a source file in a non-folding editor or
> browser, you start by scrolling down to find the actual source code.
> It would be nicer if the most frequently accessed content (i.e. the
> actual source) was right there at the beginning if the file.
>
> So I wonder if it would be OK to use a license footer instead of a
> header in source files where such an arrangement makes more sense,
> i.e. put the license info at the *end* of a file. Such files could
> still start with a one-line comment like "// Licensed under the Apache
> License, Version 2.0. See footer for details." for people who expect
> to find license info at the beginning of a file.
>
> WDYT?
AFAIK, RAT (and probably other license processors) expect to find the
license at the start of a source file;
changing this might cause temporary problems whilst the applications are fixed.
So if the proposal is agreed, I suggest the application developers are
given a chance to adjust their code before implementation starts in
earnest.
> [1] http://www.apache.org/legal/src-headers.html
> [2] https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LEGAL-124
> [3] https://twitter.com/#!/jukkaz/status/169068322611146753
>
> BR,
>
> Jukka Zitting
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: legal-discuss-unsubscribe@apache.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: legal-discuss-help@apache.org
>
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