Activating and Check the isCOBOL License

In this kb we would like to clarify some aspects of Activating and Check the isCOBOL License.
The iscobol.properties file has two main usages, as a license file and as configuration file.
As a license file, it could be in different location which we'll analyze below.
During the installation on a machine, the installer will ask if the user wants to activate the licenses or skip the activation.
If the users choose to skip the activation, the license will need to be manually put in one of the folder below mentioned.
But if the user decides to activate the licenses during the installation, the wizard will create an iscobol.properties license file at C:∖Users∖%username% under Windows or $USER under Unix.
Users can have all the iscobol.properties files they need containing properties and⁄or variables but we suggest to put the license information only in one, e.g.

iscobol.properties as a License file:

# Company: MyCompnay
# License ID: 310828⁄003
# Expiration Date: 20180208
iscobol.license.2018=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
iscobol.compiler.license.2018=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

iscobol.properties as a runtime configuration file:

iscobol.file.errors_ok=2
iscobol.file_prefix=⁄path

iscobol.properties as a compiler configuration file:

iscobol.compiler.regexp="(?i)(STOP)∖∖s+(RUN)" "GOBACK"
iscobol.compiler.messagelevel.106=0
iscobol.compiler.messagelevel.154=0

The runtime as well as the compiler and all the add-ons will look for the license in the following order:
Windows
1. ∖etc∖iscobol.properties in the drive where the working directory is
2. C:∖Users∖%username%∖iscobol.properties (the setup wizard saves licenses here, if you don't skip activation)
3. iscobol.properties found in the Java Classpath
4. a custom configuration file passed on the command line (-c option)
5. %ISCOBOL%∖iscobol.properties

Unix/Linux
1. ⁄etc⁄iscobol.properties
2. $HOME⁄iscobol.properties
3. iscobol.properties found in the Java Classpath
4. a custom configuration file passed on the command line (-c option)
5. $ISCOBOL⁄iscobol.properties

NOTE - Files are listed in the order they're processed. If the license key appears in more than one of the above files, then the last occurrence is considered.

If users want to know which license they are using they always can execute the following command:

iscrun -license

This command will return the following prompt:

C:∖etc∖iscobol.properties: VERYANT##302018⁄005⁄permanent
C:∖Users∖Daniel∖iscobol.properties: => invalid or missing license

We put a license file in the "C:∖Users∖Daniel" folder with wrong information just as a sample of what you could expect. In any case users can go to those locations and review whatever they are looking for.

Article ID: 293
Created: June 12, 2018
Last Updated: June 12, 2018
Author: Support KB Author

Online URL: https://support.veryant.com/support/phpkb/article.php?id=293