GemBox Software Support: Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

For technical questions not answered here or in the product documentation contact us on: support@gemboxsoftware.com

For licensing questions not answered here contact us on: info@gemboxsoftware.com

Technical questions

What version of “GemBox.Spreadsheet.dll” or “GemBox.CompoundFile.dll” should we use in our application?

This depends on the .NET Framework version your application targets and a DLL version you want to use. All our DLLs (assemblies) use assembly and file version in a following format:

Version.Type.Framework.Revision

Version - Component version. For example, for v2.1 this is "21".
Type - Build type. This is "1" for Free and "3" for Professional.
Framework - Framework version. This is "5000" for .NET 1.1, "0" for .NET 2.0, "30" for .NET 3.0 and "35" for .NET 3.5.
Revision - Revision number. This is "1000" for the first public release, "1001" and on for service packs. Numbers from 0 to 999 are reserved for Alpha and Beta builds.
Should we place “GemBox.Spreadsheet.dll” or “GemBox.CompoundFile.dll” in GAC (Global Assembly Cache) on the target machine?

That is entirely up to you. You can place it in either GAC or in the application execution folder, whichever you prefer.
Do we need to recompile our application if you provide us with quick fix / new version?

Quick fix and new product versions come with different assembly and file versions and therefore you should recompile your application. If you can not or do not want to do that, you can always specify application of machine configuration file which redirects binding to a new version of the assembly (See MSDN "Redirecting Assembly Versions" article).
Can we use “GemBox.Spreadsheet.dll” or “GemBox.CompoundFile.dll” from languages other than Visual Basic .NET and C#?

Yes, our products are fully compliant with the Common Language Specification (CLS) and you can use it from any CLS language; VB.NET, C#, managed C++, J# etc. We directly support VB.NET and C# (help files, documentation and technical support) because of their popularity.
Can we generate files with more than 256 columns or more than 65536 rows?

It depends on the target file format and Excel version. XLSX and CSV files support more than 256 columns and more than 65536 rows. However, XLS files and versions of Microsoft Excel prior to Excel 2007 have 256 columns / 65536 rows limitation.

Licensing questions

How many licenses do we need for our development team?

Number of licenses is equal to number of developers. For example, if five developers are working on an application that uses our component, you will need five licenses.
What does one developer license cover?
1. All machines exclusively used by specific developer using the license (for example; Joe’s work computer and Joe’s notebook).
2. License is not time limited but it is not transferable. In other words license expires if physical person holding the license dies or company holding the license goes out of business.
3. License covers bug fixes and technical support as long as that version of product is covered by our maintenance program.
4. License does not cover upgrades to the new version. However, you can upgrade to a new version at a special upgrade price.
Do we need licenses for deployment?

No. Run-time for your end customers is royalty free.
Do we need some extra server or CPU licenses for web applications?

No. You can deploy your web application on a server farm if you want. But if multiple developers are using the same server for development, they all need to have a valid license.
What are redistribution requirements?

You can redistribute all files marked as “REDISTRIBUTABLE FILES” in product documentation. However, your end customers must be informed that they should not distribute those files further. Notice that every application using licensed components (not just GemBox Software components) has run-time license embedded into the application executable file. In our case the run-time license contains encrypted unique customer identification. This means that if run-time license is reverse engineered and pirated, either your end-customer (if he was informed of redistribution requirements) or you (if you failed to inform him) will be legally responsible.