what is Microsoft's (or any other company out there such as SunMicrosystems) stand on developers who use their development platforms to create applications for commercial use, and on commercial entities who use such programs to conduct their business?

say i am a developer who wants to write a program, im guessing i have to buy a legitimate copy/license of the development platform (ie. VS.NET or Java 2). so if i deploy an application to a commercial entity, i of course would charge the commercial entity for the use of what i wrote. they dont have to pay anything to Microsoft (or whatever the platform was written on) right?

Now then theres the matter of a database system. surely i dont have to pay for a license just to develop applications that use it? so i guess this is what commercial entities will have to pay for? a copy/license for SQL Server/Oracle?

Well if you used java and MySQL you would not have to pay anything for them... or pay any thing to any one... right?

it may be opensource, but how do we know if it is free for *commercial* usage? they do have pricing options. and yes, java is free to use and deploy on your personal webpage whatnot, but in once again, what if you use java programs to make money?

http://www.mysql.com/products/licensing.html



well, im still not sure what they mean, but i guess it is saying that if developers bundle MySQL together with their application, then the application will be considered open-source as well? meaning anyone can copy your program for free. if a developer wants to sell his program, then he should buy a license to protect himself? geez.. theres awhole lot to read

It means that you have to support the MySQL part of your application as well, with no more assistance than the typical end user receives. The GPL also would force you to release your source code, which means you wouldn't sell very many copies of your application before someone else made a free version, using your own code!

As for SQL Server and Oracle, if you use a full version of the database engine, you will need to arrange some type of licensing agreement, probably based on units sold, with either company. Oracle is more expensive and more finicky on the Windows platform than SQL Server. Microsoft does have the MSDE version of their SQL Server engine that is free to redistribute, as long as you've paid for a full version of the development environment. Oracle may have the same type of thing in their JDeveloper suite, but I don't know for sure.

ok, so i as the developer will have to fork out all the money to buy software to write an application as well as the database platform? unless of course a client pays for everything (which would mean they are paying for your services and the rights to own the application which you write).

but if i am writing an application on my own to sell to companies, i buy a license for everything i use, then charge a fee for my application... i guess.... right?

and so if i sell an application that is able to run on any database platform, then it is up to the client as to which platform they wish to buy a license for since i am not providing that for them?

If you are planning on working as a contractor to a client you should spell everything out ON PAPER as to what you are providing, what they are providing, and who will own what when you are finished. Your scenario is the typical one as far as ownership of code goes.

If you write your application to be database agnostic and do not provide any database at all, then you are also correct in your assessmentof that situation.

If you write your application AND provide the database engine you will need to talk to the owner of the database engine about licensing terms. A portion of what you charge for your application will go to the owner of the database engine, how big a portion may depend on your negotiation skills.

Mephist,

You can use MSDE (SQL server for the developer) and Oracle 9i or 8i if you want for FREE as a developer.

Your clients should purchase the licences for Oracle or SQL Server and client licenses as well.

Oracle and Microsoft let you develop for their systems for FREE. They have a vested interest to do so.

MSDE is the free version of SQL Server and your database and application will run seamlessly with the real SQL server.

Oracle allows you to sign up as an oracle developer at http://www.otn.com and download the installs for their database. You may use them for development only... so don't try to back-end them to a php forum.... lol :wink:

ONE note of caution, developing an application that is DB agnostic usually means that you cannot take advantage of a true RDMBS. It means that you will do ALL of your Relationship Management through your FRONT END APPLICATION. As a result, the performance of your app will become horrible over time as the DB grows.

I wish I could show you what Rational's ClearQuest back end looks like... no relationships between tables, no indexes... it is horrid. If you even alter the data in the tables a little bit, the application crashes for everyone.

I DO NOT suggest doing this. They use tables of pointers as their indexes and relationship holders... god what a mess. I hate Rational tools... they all stink. Rational Rose blows next to Togethersoft's UML tools... but I digress.