[GRASS-dev] version compatibility

[William Kyngesburye]

I'm trying to figure out how to handle multiple GRASS versions.  I see  
that G_gisinit() and G_no_gisinit() compare the version passed to it  
with GIS_H_VERSION.  And this currently in 6.4RCx is set to an SVN  
revision number.

Since GIS_H_VERSION gets compiled into any external software that  
links to GRASS libraries - GDAL/GRASS plugin and QGIS - GRASS 6.4RC4 ! 
= GRASS 6.4RC5 and I have to rebuild *everything* for it all to  
happily coexist.  Nightmare for distribution.

When GRASS 6.4 is final, will this be set to some fixed value that  
will not change between revisions (ie 6.4.x)?  The library API  
shouldn't change in minor revisions, so external software shouldn't  
have to depend on an exact version of GRASS.

Users installing binaries may not update all (GRASS/GDAL/QGIS/other)  
in a timely manner.  Packagers would otherwise have to rebuild  
software that hasn't changed just so it works with a minor GRASS update.

-----
William Kyngesburye <kyngchaos*at*kyngchaos*dot*com>
http://www.kyngchaos.com/

"We are at war with them. Neither in hatred nor revenge and with no  
particular pleasure I shall kill every ___ I can until the war is  
over. That is my duty."

"Don't you even hate 'em?"

"What good would it do if I did? If all the many millions of people of  
the allied nations devoted an entire year exclusively to hating the  
____ it wouldn't kill one ___ nor shorten the war one day."

<Ha, ha> "And it might give 'em all stomach ulcers."

- Tarzan, on war