ECN-4317: ActiveX and .NET run-time license auto-generation

Type of Change: Enhancement

Product: ACUCOBOL-GT

Module: axdefgen, compiler

New Version: 10.0.0

Machines Affected: All

Known Versions Affected: All

Description of enhancement

Some ActiveX controls have dual licenses - a development license for creating an application, and a run-time license for distributing that application. It is the job of the development tool to create and embed a run-time license when creating an application that uses such ActiveX controls, which AcuBench can do.

If you are not using AcuBench, or are trying to use 64-bit ActiveX controls (which AcuBench is unable to load), then there is no way to create a run-time license. Similarly, there are some .NET controls that have a dual-license mechanism, and AcuBench cannot create the run-time license for these.

A better way to perform the additional licensing is to use the AXDEFGEN utility, which has been enhanced to add the LICENSE-KEY to the CLASS description created in the COPY file.

Use the COPY file in your application and the compiler has been enhanced to use this license key automatically. However, if your COBOL program explicitly specifies the LICENSE-KEY phrase for the ActiveX control, it will override the automatically generated and embedded license; we recommend that you remove such instances and let the COPY file license the control.