Re: [RFA/doco] Update copyright year in refcard

[Joel Brobecker <brobecker@adacore.com>]

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> > The header is easy, I just added 2010.  The text, however, does not
> > use spaces after the comma when specifying the copyright years.
> > I followed the current usage for now, but I can certainly add spaces.
> 
> It's a matter of style.  I like the spaces better, so if you have a
> moment to spare, please go ahead.

OK. Since I'm modifying the file, it was no problem adding the spaces.
I also change the '92 into 1992. Attached is what I checked in for now.

> No, that was voted down by FSF lawyers at some point.  IANAL, so I
> don't know the details, only that RMS told a few years ago that each
> year needs to be spelled out.

OK. I don't mind that for the copyright headers.  That still leaves me
wondering what should be done for the copyright notice in manuals, or
the copyright year printed by GDB, gdbserver, etc. I believe that GDB
does the right thing, and just prints the current year.  It is not
so bad if it's a few years, but it looks a bit silly when the list
spans an entirely line or more... I looked at a few manuals,
particularly the ones that got reprinted, and they seem to follow
a convention where the print one line per reprint, something like:

    (c) 2004 This Press Ltd
    (c) 2006 This Press Ltd
    (c) 2008 A Better Press And Sons Ltd

I'm happy to follow whatever the FSF dictates, but it would be nice
if we could simply have just the current year in our manuals.

> I think we should add them now.  It is okay fixing a mistake such as
> this one; leaving the mistake alone is not a good idea, because it
> makes the file unprotected for the years when it was actually
> maintained.

According to Robert Dewar, who is not a lawyer, headers such as these
are not legally significant. So I don't think we need to worry about
this too much.  But I also think we should fix them whereever we see
an error and we're sure. So I've added 2007/8/9 to the refcard, for
instance. I'm pretty sure for some years before that, but up to when?
I would need to verify in our CVS which, I have to confess, isn't
very appealing at the moment (I've done my share of paperwork for today).

Thanks a lot for the review and the feedback.

-- 
Joel

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Index: refcard.tex
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/src/gdb/doc/refcard.tex,v
retrieving revision 1.6
diff -u -p -r1.6 refcard.tex
--- refcard.tex	27 Mar 2007 18:09:35 -0000	1.6
+++ refcard.tex	1 Jan 2010 11:15:31 -0000
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% gdb-refcard.tex %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
 %This file is TeX source for a reference card describing GDB, the GNU debugger.
-%Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007
-%Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+%Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008,
+%2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 %Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
 %this reference provided the copyright notices and permission notices
 %are preserved on all copies.
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ shell {\it cmd}&execute arbitrary shell 
 \line{\smrm \opt{ } surround optional arguments \hfill $\ldots$ show
 one or more arguments}
 \vskip\baselineskip
-\centerline{\smrm \copyright 1998,2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\qquad Permissions on back}
+\centerline{\smrm \copyright 1998, 2000, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\qquad Permissions on back}
 \eject
 \sec Breakpoints and Watchpoints;
 break \opt{\it file\tt:}{\it line}\par
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ statement.\cr 
 
 \vfill
 {\smrm\parskip=6pt
-Copyright \copyright 1991,'92,'93,'98,2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 
+Copyright \copyright 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 
 Author: Roland H. Pesch
 
 The author assumes no responsibility for any errors on this card.