Re: [gtk-list] Re: ANNOUNCE: GTK+ and GLib 1.2.3 Released

[gandalf pobox com]

On 11 May 1999, Ben Gertzfield wrote:

> >>>>> "Shawn" == Shawn T Amundson <amundson@gimp.org> writes:
> 
>     Shawn> GTK+ and GLib 1.2.3 are now at:
>     Shawn> ftp://ftp.gtk.org/pub/gtk/v1.2/.  The 1.2.x series is a
>     Shawn> stable series and is binary compatible within the series.
>     Shawn> That means you can install this new version of GLib and
>     Shawn> GTK+ and applications can use it without being recompiled
>     Shawn> if they were already compiled against 1.2.0.
> 
> As it turns out, this is not quite true (the binary compatibility
> bit).
> 
> I got a report that a program compiled against 1.2.2 would not run
> if 1.2.0 was installed:
> 
> alexsh@hectic:~> glade
> glade: error in loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/libgnomeui.so.32:
> undefined symbol: gtk_item_factory_add_foreign
> 
> I can't believe you guys broke binary compatibility within the 1.2
> series! Shame and disgrace unto all of you.


I believe he ment it was backwards compatible not forwards compatible.
(at least that is what he explictly gave an example of)
Something compiled against 1.2.0 will also run on 1.2.2 libs.  However
something compiled against 1.2.2 will not neccesarily run with 1.2.0
libs.  

I've never heard of a group try and keep forward compatibility like
that, it means you can never add any new functionality, since programs
could link against these new functions and no longer work with the old
libraries (which is what you are seeing)


-chris

_______________________________________________________
Christopher Rogers      Stevens Institute of Technology
gandalf@pobox.com       http://www.pobox.com/~gandalf

An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds.  
A pessimist is sure of it!