alex@bilver.uucp (Alex Matulich) (05/10/91)
In article <22231@duke.cs.duke.edu> kds@physics.phy.duke.edu (Kevin Stokes) writes: > I am shareware author, and I have a tried a system which is neither >crippleware, or hassle-ware. My program requires the user to answer >some configuration setup questions, and then installs itself while storing >the date by modifying the .EXE. The user is informed that he/she can use >the program for a week to decide whether or not the program is good. This sort of thing might work for an application program, but what about a package of programming utilities? To wit: I have just completed the development of a nice package of very easy-to-use C programming functions, which include a recursive menu handler, a file selection dialog box, a text file/text array interactive display function, clean error handling, and miscellaneous other things. This is for MS-DOS text application development, by the way. I started this back in 1987, on my Amiga, as a means to use the Amiga as an MS-DOS development platform. The project has grown into a really professional-looking MSDOS C function library, using direct-video writes for everything and so forth. The challenge was to make it compatible with as many compilers as possible, and I have succeeded so far (Turbo C++, Lattice C for MSDOS, and SAS Amiga C all work flawlessly with it - haven't tried MSC yet). The Amiga lib isn't as crisp because it has to emulate a lot of IBM screen operations. Now, I have been stumped on how to distribute this. I'd LIKE to distribute it as shareware, with maybe a $15 charge. But how? If I provided all the source code, with utilities to make libraries for any memory model using all the compilers I support, the user has everything he needs and may not be moved to contribute. On the other hand, I could just provide the libraries for all compilers and all memory models, and omit _parts_ of the source code like the menu handler and file dialog box, and tell the user (in a demonstration executable) that the source and printed docs are available for $15, or maybe $7 if I am sent a stamped disk mailer with the money. Any suggestions? Companies like Greenleaf sell collections of C libraries like this for a lot more money, but I don't know if they charge extra for source. If charging a fee for something like this is wrong, then I would at least like to know if anybody is using my stuff once it's released. How do I do that? (This will be my (and my company's) first shareware release.) > I just remembered another good one: "I am in the habit of registering >shareware products which I find useful. Your program is NOT useful." >Why did that guy bother to write me? I wonder how many of those I will get? -- _ |__ Alex Matulich /(+__> Unicorn Research Corp, 4621 N Landmark Dr, Orlando, FL 32817 //| \ UUCP: alex@bilver.uucp <or> ...uunet!tarpit!bilver!alex ///__) bitnet: IN%"bilver!alex@uunet.uu.net"