Microsoft toys with open source, to set WTL free
news.com.au | at | by Mike
Microsoft is planning a licensing scheme similar to an open-source arrangement for one of its code libraries. Months after hinting it may try an open-source approach to support the Microsoft C++ Windows Template Library (WTL), Microsoft is hammering out licensing details of what could be a small but radical step for the company. "One of the delays in this case is we think WTL is going to require a different type of licence than we've used in the past," visual C++ libraries director Pranish Kumar said.
Unlike its .NET languages, C#, J# and Visual Basic.NET, C++-based programming modules do not support a managed-code approach. However, some developers, particularly those creating applications for mobile devices, prefer unmanaged code, as it allows them to create smaller, faster programs.