modified code liscensing
 

I have recently been in the process of modifying python code for a database. The basic scource code i have used was published on a website (http://www.daniweb.com/code/snippet216836.html). I am in the process of adding a GUI and modifying the database to open the movie files upon other things.

My question is when completed how should i aknowledge the original scource.

Also because i have used the original code as open source am i restricted to leaving my code on open scource?

Any information would be greatly appreaciated
if there is any documentation on the open source usage and liscensing laws could you point me in the direction?

You wait for a response to your request on how to acknowledge it properly :)

The code could belong to the original author. It could belong to the owner of DaniWeb. It could belong to anyone. You've tried to contact for permission to use the code and to acknowledge the source.

You are making an assumption. I did not see a license in the code itself nor did I see a link to any license that would cover the code. Just because the code is published on a web page does not make it "open source." What you can do or must do depends on the license that covers the code.

I am waiting for contact from the author on that website but if the user no longer comes online i referred myself to here.

Even if there are no restrictions on the code, it is appropriate (and nice) to mention where you got it from with name, email address or URL where you got the code. Of course include your own to help anyone who might look at your code. Usually, code you find on snippets sites or forums is in the Public Domain, unless stated otherwise.

We (members of LQ) cannot know what Ene Uran (the original code author) would want you to do or not do with his code. We would be guessing just as much as you are. It sounds to me like you're hoping someone at LQ will say "it's ok" so that you will feel better about using it.

Just sit tight. If you look at Ene Uran's profile, it indicates Ene was last online three days ago (as of today: January 22, 2011). Ene also averages 0.8 posts per day since joining in August 2005.

That tells us Ene is a regular user and will login again (probably soon). You can check periodically by looking at the profile page linked above for an updated "Last Activity" date.

You posted your request to him (or her) yesterday (January 21). It's a tad early to speculate that Ene will never login again and that you would be forced to get what-to-do advice from other forums.

Additionally, you can email one or more moderators/administrators of the DaniWeb forums to ask them if the forum has any policies in place. For instance, there may be an agreement as part of forum membership that posted code belongs to DaniWeb or that all posted code is given to the public domain. Alternatively, they might be able to contact Ene Uran on your behalf using a registration email address.

Don't fire off one forum post and claim "code abandonment" because you didn't get a reply in less than 24 hours.

I'm not familiar with that rule of thumb. If it's true, then it's probably because the forum/code snippet sites have a member agreement like I mentioned above. Generally speaking, if a person encounters something that may or may not have restrictions attached, that person needs to assume that the most significant restrictions are imposed until they learn otherwise.