Comparison of Standard vs. PRO builds

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Grigory Filatov

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Feb 28, 2025, 7:55:12 AMFeb 28
to Harbour Minigui
Hi All,

Harbour MiniGUI (HMG) is a popular open-source development environment for creating GUI applications using the (x)Harbour compiler. The project offers two builds: Standard (free) and PRO (donationware). Here's a comparison of the two builds, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages for a simple developer:

Standard (Free) Build:

Advantages:

1. Free: The Standard build is completely free, making it an attractive option for developers on a budget or those who want to try out HMG without committing to a paid version.
2. Full-featured: The Standard build still offers a wide range of features, including a GUI designer, code editor, and debugger.
3. Community support: The HMG community provides support and resources for the Standard build, including documentation, tutorials, and forums.

Disadvantages:

1. Limited IDE features: The Standard build's IDE lacks some advanced features, such as limited code debugging, and simple project templates.
2. No commercial use: The Standard build is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only. If you plan to use HMG for commercial purposes, you'll need to upgrade to the PRO build.
3. Limited technical support: While community support is available, you won't receive direct technical support from the HMG team.

PRO (Donationware) Build:

Advantages:

1. Advanced IDE features: The PRO build includes advanced IDE features like in-line code debugging, and project templates, making development more efficient.
2. Commercial use allowed: The PRO build is licensed for commercial use, making it suitable for professional developers and businesses.
3. Priority technical support: As a PRO build user, you'll receive priority technical support from the HMG team, ensuring you get help when you need it.
4. Additional libraries and tools: The PRO build includes additional libraries (f.e., SQLRDD) and tools, such as a code formatter and a database explorer.

Disadvantages:

1. Donation required: While the PRO build is donationware, it's not entirely free. You're expected to make a donation to support the project, which may be a barrier for some developers.
2. Higher system requirements: The PRO build requires more system resources than the Standard build, which may be a concern for older systems or those with limited resources.

For a simple developer:

If you're a simple developer who:

* Is on a tight budget or just starting out
* Only needs basic IDE features
* Is not planning to use HMG for commercial purposes

The Standard build might be the better choice. You'll still have access to a wide range of features and community support, and you can always upgrade to the PRO build later if needed.

However, if you:

* Need advanced IDE features to improve your productivity
* Plan to use HMG for commercial purposes
* Want priority technical support from the HMG team

The PRO build is likely the better option, despite the requirement for a donation. The additional features and support will help you create more complex applications and provide a more professional experience.

Please note that this text was created with using generative AI.

Happy coding!

Sincerely,
Grigory Filatov

José Quintas

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Feb 28, 2025, 10:21:33 AMFeb 28
to Harbour Minigui
2. No commercial use: The Standard build is licensed for personal, non-commercial use only. If you plan to use HMG for commercial purposes, you'll need to upgrade to the PRO build

What ?
Is it illegal HMG Extended Standard for commercial use ?
If yes, what is the last Standard version for commercial use ?

José M. C. Quintas

tigul...@gmail.com

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Mar 1, 2025, 5:30:17 AMMar 1
to Harbour Minigui
... some time ago I switched to another GUI, free and open as Minigui was (and as Harbour is).
I think I had a good idea.

Harbour Minigui

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Mar 1, 2025, 9:00:32 AMMar 1
to Harbour Minigui
Hi all, 
I ask everyone to pay attention to what was written in the last parts of the Grigory email:

Point 1 The email was created with artificial intelligence and for this reason it has a marked commercial attitude!
Point 2 Grigory focuses on donations to support himself as unemployed.
Point 3 reiterates that HMG is a good product for commercial use

Finally, there are currently no license changes, and I am also talking about the new release that will be available
soon with interesting news.

Obviously the last words are up to Grigory, if he wants to create a commercial version only is among his possibilities,
as well as for all minigui users, but this will be a personal Fork. 

Minigui Extended is free and active much more than other similar distributions.

AS much as I can, as always, available and I thank the authors who continue to contribute
with their works free of charge of this community by making the work of creating programs 
with MiniGui easy and better.

The best greetings to all members of this group (and are hundreds)

 --
Pierpaolo Martinello [ Minigui Team ]
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