How the Plus license works

If you are curious about the details of how the DataTables Plus license works and is implemented you are in the right place!

Let's start by taking a look at a license key:

plus_10_20290521:GL6ZSk1KdScK...

You'll notice that the first part is clear text and contains some fairly obvious information:

• The license type - e.g. trial or plus.
• The number indicates the number of developers that the license is valid for.
• The expiry date for the license.

Following this information is a signature that DataTables uses to validate the license key against the public key that it has built in.

Extensions such as Editor and CardView can make a call to DataTables to check if a valid license is present, and if not, they can abort their actions (i.e. simply not operate) and message stating that a license is require is shown.

Perpetual license

Importantly, because a DataTables Plus license is perpetual, the expiry date in the key is not a point at which the software can no longer be used, but rather it is used to check the release date of the Plus extension. When the extension is released, the build date is integrated into its call to check for a valid license, allowing DataTables to confirm if the software being used is within the purchased support period.

The upshot of this is that if you purchase a Plus license and upgrade to any version released in the next year, the check will indicate that it is a valid license, and this will continue past the included upgrade period. However, if you upgrade to a version of the software that was released after the upgrade period, the license will not be valid and an upgrade license will be required.

Support

If you have any questions about the licensing of DataTables Plus, please get in touch.