Azure-docs: License information for Azure Maps SDK missing

[GiantCrocodile]

Hello,

it seems there is no information in the docs about the license that applies to the Azure Maps SDK. Please document proper license information like what are we allowed to do with it (just use it, modify the source code, redistribute it, use it for non-Azure-related projects/development, etc.) and if we have to respect some other licenses too because of some dependencies or whatever.

Furthermore I would like to know if there's somewhere a changelog/What's New for the Azure Maps SDK?

Thank you!

---

Document Details

⚠ Do not edit this section. It is required for docs.microsoft.com ➟ GitHub issue linking.

• ID: ea11ca51-2d51-8328-09d7-2ee9944e5751
• Version Independent ID: 2077160d-3c5f-33d1-4d14-43a758071a76
• Content: Getting started with web map control
• Content Source: articles/azure-maps/how-to-use-map-control.md
• Service: azure-maps
• GitHub Login: @philmea
• Microsoft Alias: philmea

[MonikaReddy-MSFT]

@GiantCrocodile - Thanks for brining this to our attention. We will investigate it further and update you shortly.

[asergaz]

@GiantCrocodile the license is on the NPM Package: https://www.npmjs.com/~azuremaps

The changelog should be accessible there as well. Let us know if that is what you were looking for?

Thanks!

[GiantCrocodile]

@asergaz I wasn't aware that there's a npm package. Usually the license question is the first thing you ask before even touching the software. If the software doesn't fit to your project due to license problems, you are not interested in it anyway, regardless how good/cool it is. Checking the page I see this license information: SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE.TXT. I found no download button for a zip/rar archive nor a way to browse this license file from online. I think the changelog is included in some text file too?

If that's true, it would be great if we can have this information directly accessible without having to download and install npm package manager, downloading the package and check its content. This might make sense if you are on a developer machine but right now it's not available to me and in my experience it's quite untypical to have to do this to simply check the license for legal reasons. This comes with other burdens too, e. g. if your project doesn't use npm at all or if you have to share the license information with others e. g. to have a third party review.

[asergaz]

Hi @GiantCrocodile we really appreciate your feedback and I can resonate with it.

I found no download button for a zip/rar archive nor a way to browse this license file from online.

You can explore the files with Runkit: https://npm.runkit.com/azure-maps-control

I think the changelog is included in some text file too?

I cannot see a changelog inside the package. Besides the version history, there are no details on the changes between the versions.

1) Let me know if by using the Runkit this works well as a workaround when not having npm installed in the machine?
2) I will pass the feedback to Product Group to provide a changelog in the npm package when possible.

Thank you!

[rbrundritt]

The license information is linked to in the "Resources" section of the docs. There is a link "Azure Maps terms of use" as well as "Azure Maps pricing".

[rbrundritt]

As for changelog, we purposely do not post one as the CDN hosted version of the SDK always points to the latest version, so users don't point to older versions. Instead new features are announced in blogs.

[rbrundritt]

The license.txt file primarily contains all the licenses for all open source licenses contained within the project. The primarily license information for the Azure Maps platform is contained in Azures Online Service terms which governs all Azure services: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/legal/

[AshokPeddakotla-MSFT]

@GiantCrocodile Does the above suggestions answers your query? Do let us know if you have any other queries.

[GiantCrocodile]

Thank you for your prompt replies @ everyone.

@asergaz @AshokPeddakotla-MSFT I will try out the given suggestion next days and come back to confirm if it did help me. Right now I just noticed that a sign-up on that page is required for Runkit which isn't that nice too but not that bad as installing software, etc.

@rbrundritt Thank you. I'm aware of the Azures Online Service terms and the pricing of it. My inquiry is related to Azure Maps SDK, not to the online service itself and that part isn't answered by those documents I think.

Regarding the CDN version: That's why I didn't check if npm is supported. I just took a look at the CDN version as that's what I would need at the moment. It would be great to have some kind of changelog/overview/bugtracker to see if important bugs are fixed or at least known to the responsible dev team. I'm aware of new features being announced in blogs.

Best Regards,

[rbrundritt]

Ok, the Azure Maps platform as a whole is govern by the Online service terms. The NPM package itself does have to include a license text with it. However we are pretty open there and include unminified source code as an option.

[asergaz]

@GiantCrocodile in the hope we have addressed your questions let us know if this issue is ready to be closed?

Thank you so much in advance for all you feedback :)!

[GiantCrocodile]

I will close this as suggested by you @asergaz.

For now we will take the embedded license information as plain text (with some formation errors) from this URL: https://atlas.microsoft.com/sdk/javascript/mapcontrol/2/atlas.min.js. Maybe it might sense to discuss this internally to find some better way to provide an overview of license information for interested people who think about to use the SDK.

[asergaz]

Thank you @GiantCrocodile . We appreciate all your feedback and will take it into count. Please leverage Azure Maps Feedback Forum as well. If you add a new entry there and it is voted by others it will definitely help us prioritize.

If there are further questions regarding this matter, please tag me in your reply. We will gladly continue the discussion and we will reopen the issue.