The 2020v2 release contains several changes to way we license C1 controls. The first is the introduction of the GrapeCity License Manager (GCLM). This was in response to .NET (5/6…) allowing cross platform development and is to replace C1LicenseActivation which only supports Windows. The second was the introduction of the .gclicx file. This is replacement for Microsoft 3rd party licensing system (LC.exe and the licenses.licx) which was not transitioned from .NET Framework to .NET.
Another change was to how we license user control projects. Prior to 2020v2, if you built a user control that contained C1 controls into a .DLL (on a licensed dev machine with the proper licenses.licx entries), you could use that user control on another dev machine, even if that machine/developer didn’t have a C1 license. This was in violation of the GC EULA which requires any developer working on a project with C1 controls to have a C1 license. With the changes in the 2020v2 release, if you create a user control project that contains C1 controls, you need to create a custom .gclicx file and embed it in the user control project. This is generated via the command line using the gclm.exe where you will include the name of the user control project as well as the name of the project that will use the user control. The specific instructions are below.
/componentone/docs/license/online-license/license-user-controls.html
After running the command, it will generate a .gclicx file that you need to add to the user control project and set it’s build action to Embedded Resource. This will allow that specific named project to use the user control without evaluation nag screens.
Alternatively, there is a special Plug-in license you can purchase (contact us.sales@grapecity.com for more information) that once activated via GrapeCity License Manager will allow you to run the command line with only the name of the user control project. This is helpful if you have many projects that will use the same user control (although you can rerun the command line for each one) or if have a situation where you don’t know the name of the project that will consume the user control (dynamic).
Note, in either scenario, the development environment that uses the user control that contains C1 controls will need to have a C1 license activated on it.
Andy Paxinos