One Effort Multiple Platforms

Over time, we’ve gathered a number of questions which are often asked. Here we categorize and present them for your perusal.

Price and licensing

• What kind of license does 8th have?
• How much does 8th cost?
• Do I have to keep paying to use 8th?
• May I use 8th in commercial products?
• Are there restrictions on who may use 8th?
• Is 8th’s source code available?

Using 8th

• Can I use external libraries?
• Can I make client-server applications?
• Does 8th use a virtual-machine?
• GUI or command-line (CLI)?
• Are my applications time-limited?

Miscellaneous

• Do you offer support?
• Can we hire you for 8th development?

What kind of license does 8th have?

8th is a commercial product, it is not open-source, nor is it licensed under the GPL. The free version is also subject to the same commercial license as the paid versions.

The detailed license can be viewed here.

How much does 8th cost?

As expected, the Free version costs nothing, and the other versions’ pricing can be viewed here.

The detailed license can be viewed here.

Do I have to keep paying to use 8th?

No. If you’ve purchased a non-free version of 8th, you’ve purchased a lifetime license to use that specific version and produce executables using it.

You also purchased the right to update your version of 8th as new releases are made, for one year from your purchase date. Once that year expires, you will either need to update your license (by paying the update fee), upgrade to a more capable version, or downgrade to the Free version.

May I use 8th in commercial products?

Yes. You may use the executables you produce with 8th for any purpose whatsoever.

With that said, you may not distribute 8th itself to anyone else.

Are there restrictions on who may use 8th?

8th’s development company is based in Israel and therefore subject to Israeli export laws. Due to those laws, residents of the following countries may not purchase 8th: Cuba, Iran, Lebanon, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.

This is correct as of 02 Mar 2021 and remains in force until further notice. We’re hopeful that it will change for the better in the near future!

Is 8th’s source code available?

Yes. If you need to have 8th’s source code for validation or security reviews and so forth, you may purchase the Enterprise edition. After signing an NDA, the sources will be provided.

Can I use external libraries?

Yes. 8th’s “FFI” (foreign-function-interface) makes it easy to utilize libraries which are provided as “shared objects” or “DLLs”. On Android, you can also call into the native Java libraries provided by the OS.

Can I make client-server applications?

Yes. 8th’s features include socket functionality, from the low-level up to high level “net” words. An “internet server” is included as well, making it simple to write your own communications protocol (or a web server).

Does 8th use a virtual-machine?

No. 8th’s engine compiles your source to native code, at run-time, for the platform on which 8th is running at the time. The “run-time engine” contains all the built-in functionality 8th provides, but it is not a virtual-machine.

GUI or command-line (CLI)?

The 8th binary you use, along with most of the attendant tools are CLI, and usually are run from some kind of terminal.

Applications you produce may be either CLI or GUI, depending on your needs. They can even be both. Of course, applications for mobile devices are strictly GUI based.

8th’s GUI utilizes OpenGL and the SDL2 and Nuklear libraries, so your applications’ “look-and-feel” is almost identical across platforms, to the extent possible.

Are my applications time-limited?

No. Even if you produce an application with a non-free version of 8th which no longer has a valid update license, you can produce applications as long as you want and they will be usable indefinitely.

Do you offer support?

Yes. In general, support is provided via the forum, and you are encouraged to post your questions there (and provide answers if you know them!).

Support is also provided via email, though without a guaranteed response time-frame. Use of email is generally discouraged in favor of the forum, but in the event your question involves something which should not be made public, email is the right avenue for support.

“Enterprise” clients get priority support, which means their questions or issues get resolved as quickly as possible at the expense of other’s.

Can we hire you for 8th development?

Yes. Depending on availability, we can provide development services — whether for 8th, or for other languages like C and Java.

We can also create “OEM” versions of 8th on a contract-basis, depending on your specific needs.