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How to Read Version Numbers

ST/X version Numbers

For the packaged Smalltalk/X, a 4-part version numbering scheme is used:
    major.minor.revision.release

Major

The major number is only incremented if a class of the base-system has changed such that old binary classes (i.e. compiled linrary-dll's) are no longer binary compatible and must be recompiled. Typically this happens, when an instance variable is added to a class like "View", which has many subclasses. We do therefore try to avoid to avoid this like the plague.
We also increment the major number, if source incompatibilities are to be expected with respect to previous versions, which mean that as a developer, you might have to change your code.

The last major number increase was when the stream protocols default positioning was changed from 0- to 1-based indexing.

Minor

The minor number is incremented for every publication which contains major new features, such as a new tool or a new communication framework. It is also incremented if minor incompatibilities, which affect only tools or other subsets of the system, which usually do not affect other applications.

Revision

The revision number is incremented for minor new features or bug fixes.

Release

The release number is only used internally within exept.

Class Version Numbers

Class version numbers are currently generated by CVS. We only use the default 2-part scheme, where the first major number is never incremented. Occasionally, a class temporarily may get a 3-part number, when it is part of a branch in the modification history. Such branch versions do not make it into a public release, though.


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Doc $Revision: 1.3 $ $Date: 2008/09/22 12:17:20 $