File Formats                                           compver(4)



NAME
     compver - compatible versions file

DESCRIPTION
     compver is an ASCI file used to specify  previous  versions
     of the associated package which are upward compatible. It is
     created by a package developer.


     Each line of the file specifies a previous  version  of  the
     associated  package  with which the current version is back-
     ward compatible.


     Since some packages may require installation of  a  specific
     version  of another software package, compatibility informa-
     tion is extremely crucial. Consider, for example, a  package
     called  "A"  which requires version "1.0" of application "B"
     as a prerequisite for installation. If the customer  instal-
     ling  "A"  has  a  newer  version  of "B" (version 1.3), the
     compver file for "B" must indicate that "1.3" is  compatible
     with  version  "1.0"  in  order  for the customer to install
     package "A".

EXAMPLES
     Example 1 Sample compver file.


     A sample compver file is shown below:


       Version 1.3
       Version 1.0



SEE ALSO
     pkginfo(4)


     Application Packaging Developer's Guide

NOTES
     The comparison of the version string disregards white  space
     and  tabs.  It  is  performed on a word-by-word basis. Thus,
     "Version 1.3" and "Version  1.3"  would  be  considered  the
     same.


     The entries in  the  compver  file  must  match  the  values
     assigned to the VERSION parameter in the pkginfo(4) files.




SunOS 5.11           Last change: 4 Oct 1996                    1