FAQ: Product Licensing, Applying the License Key

Licensing (applying the license key) must be done at least once per computer system. The license key unlocks the downloaded demo version - no additional download is needed. Applying the license key can be done manually with the help of the license dialog, by programmatic licensing and by licensing via INI File.

For Developers

It is necessary to license programmatically each time when your application is being started.

The license key (sent to you by TEC-IT) has to be entered in the license dialog of the product. Please enter the license data exactly as submitted to you. Take care of spaces and upper/lowercase! To avoid mistakes you can use "copy & paste" if you have received the license key by email. The license-key must be applied to the product on each target system where you want to use the product.

ActiveX Controls

You can open the license dialog (in most applications) by right-clicking on the ActiveX^® Control.

For Programmers

You can license directly in your program code by calling the LicenseMe() function.

Licensing happens during startup of the document which contains the ActiveX^®Control.

• Open the Microsoft VBA editor with Alt+F11
• In the Project Explorer select This Workbook.
• Now enter the following code as for the Workbook-Open Event:

Private Sub Workbook_Open()
 Dim tbc As TBarCode8
 Set tbc = CreateObject ("TBarCode8.TBarCode8")
 tbc.LicenseMe "Mem:Licensee", eLicKindDeveloper, 1, "Key", eLicProd1D
 Set tbc = Nothing
End Sub

We recommend to password protect your VBA code in the project property window.

Below we show you how to license at startup of the database.

Create a new Module with the following function (in Microsoft VBA Editor):

Public Function LicenseTBarCode()
 Dim TB As New TBarCode8
 TB.LicenseMe "Mem:Licensee", eLicKindDeveloper, 1, "Key", eLicProd1D
 SetTB = Nothing
End Function

Create a new Macro named "Autoexec" with the following settings:

Action = RunCode
Functionname = License TBarCode()

The licensing procedure for developers is as follows:

Call the LicenseMe() method from within your application each time when your program is getting started. This has to be done before you draw a barcode!

For users of an ActiveX^® Control: when you call the LicenseMe() method you should take care that an instance of the control has been created (e.g. within load event of a form), otherwise you have to create an object.

Sample for licensing TBarCodeOCX in VB:

Private Sub Form_Load()
TBarCode81.LicenseMe "Mem: LicenseeInfo", 
          eLicKindDeveloper, 1, "MyLicKey", eLicProd1D
End Sub

Sample for licensing TBarCodeDLL in VC++:

BCLicenseMe ("Licensee", eKindOfLicense, 1,
                         "YourKey", eProductID);
// for enums refer to the file TECBCEnum.h

More info about licensing can be found in the product documentation available in the Download Area of this site.

You may encounter the following problem: after entering the license key it is recognized (key valid) but not stored in the system. After restarting your application the product is unlicensed again.

Developer Licenses (License Key Starts with Mem:)

For Developer Licenses (using a license key which starts with Mem:) you have to license the product within your program code. Just call the LicenseMe() function at startup of your application or before you draw the first barcode.

Permission Problem

For all other license types: there maybe permission restrictions when reading or writing the Windows Registry. Because our product wants to store the license data in the Registry you have to check if your user account has sufficient permissions for the TEC-IT key.

You can change the permissions for TEC-IT keys with the registry editor - click here for a screenshot about the necessary settings (Microsoft WinNT/2000/XP).

INI File Licensing

For special problems there is a possibility to load the license key through a preconfigured INI-File. Please contact our support if you have unsolved licensing problems.