Your Questions Answered
You've got lots of questions about Open Source LiveCode, today we've put together some answers for you

by Heather Laine

Why are you doing this?
We want to reach the widest possible audience with LiveCode. Our mission is to empower people to do things with their computers they might not otherwise be able to. We strongly agree with the concept that coding should be the new literacy. Releasing a free Open Source edition removes the cost barrier for millions of users. Our user base will grow enormously, both for the free edition and for the closed source commercial edition (see "what does dual license mean", below).

What does Open Source mean?
Literally, it means you can read the source code that powers LiveCode. Nothing is hidden (except for the security modules). This allows you, the user, to contribute new features to the engine. You can either do this for yourself, creating a special one off version of LiveCode just for your own use, or you can contribute new features back to the main engine project, coordinated by us, at RunRev. Anything you add must itself be open source - other people can read it and expand on it. You don't have to play about with the engine though, you can just use the LiveCode IDE to create apps as you do today. The difference is that if you are using open source LiveCode to create your apps, the source code for your apps must also be open.

What does Dual License mean?
In addition to the free Open Source edition, we will make available for sale a Commercial edition of LiveCode, which you can use to build closed source apps, just as you do today. There will also be high end Enterprise licenses with new features available such as machine code compilation, source code escrow and professional support levels. The Commercial edition will be annual, giving you access to all updates for the year.

Will LiveCode Open Source be a cut down version of LiveCode?
No. It will be the full, feature complete LiveCode. The only part that will not be made open is that which relates to security.

Why do you need funding to do this?
The existing LiveCode engine has grown organically over the last 20 years. It is monolithic - meaning its just one huge lump of tangled code, some millions of lines long. Very few people understand it as it exists today. (Happily those few people are in our expert team!) We need to untangle the code and make it modular, so that community users can read it, understand it, and make meaningful contributions. Right now, changing one tiny item in the code can have an effect like the fabled butterfly that flaps its wings in South America and causes a hailstorm over London. You just don't know what will happen, in apparently unrelated areas. As part of the project we will also be adding the hugely exciting open language facility. We also need to build an infrastructure that allows us to accept code contributions and manage the open source project. We'll be adding a shiny new IDE. All of this work takes time and developers, who need to eat while it is going on (even if we only feed them pizza and coffee, that's still a lot of pizza!). Quite simply, we cannot take the time and resources to do this right, without your backing.

If you make LiveCode free, how does RunRev make a living?
There is a difference between free, and dual license. Our vastly expanded open source community will spawn a new generation of commercial LiveCoders, who will purchase Commercial licenses. We will also provide supporting materials such as academies, books, training, conferences and certification. This is a carefully researched and soundly based commercial decision for us. It also is a fantastic thing for the 90% of users who will never need to buy a license. Win/Win for everybody.

I'm an educator, what does open source mean for me?
Open Source LiveCode is the best thing to happen for IT education since the abacus... or at least since the death of HyperCard. There is nothing like it for teaching programming to the 13+ age group. Students will be able to use it free, take it home, share with friends and start building real world apps. Teachers can stop worrying about budgets and start focusing on excellent results. Research use in universities can hugely expand. Courses using LiveCode to teach at all levels will be massively enabled. Our young people can be properly equipped for the 21st century with valuable saleable skills.

I have a Complete or Commercial license already, what will happen to that?
What you own is yours. You still have your Complete license, it remains yours under the EULA you purchased it with. We will honour all existing licenses under the terms they were purchased with, right up to their expiry dates. When they expire you will have the opportunity to purchase the new Commercial style license, which is very similar.

Will my existing perpetual licenses expire?
No.

What happens to my PAYG license?
As long as you maintain payments you can continue to use your PAYG license. If the payments lapse the license will lapse, and no new PAYG purchases will be available.

Can I mix Open Source and Commercial licensing?
No. Anything released using the Open Source edition of LiveCode must itself be open source. It cannot contain any commercial, closed code.

Can I build an app and distribute it with Open Source?
Yes, provided you also release the source for that app.

You can read a more extensive faq here. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to ask us.