Proposal on the platform API policy question

[wren ng thornton]

Ross Paterson wrote:
 > Duncan Coutts wrote:
 > > Thanks to everyone who took part in the recent discussion on API
 > > compatibility in minor platform releases. In response to the points
 > > raised, Don and I would like to propose the following:
 > >
 > >       * Bug fix only in minor releases
 > >       * Change platform version numbers to follow the PVP
 > >       * 4 month major release cycles for the first 12 months
 > >       * Review major release cycle frequency after 12 months

Sounds like a good plan.

 > Sounds good.  Perhaps it would be less confusing to use PVP
 > terminology for HP too, i.e. avoid speaking of minor releases
 > and call them patchlevel releases.  (In those terms, HP will
 > not have minor releases.)

+1.


Duncan Coutts wrote:
 > Details:
 >
 >       * "bug fix only" means no api changes or additions in library
 >         packages and no new user-accessible features in programs. In
 >         terms of the PVP it means only the 4th digit may increment, eg
 >         X.Y.Z.0 -> X.Y.Z.1.

The one thing I'd like to highlight again is the issue of "strictness 
bugfixes". This is more of a PVP definition issue than a HP release 
issue, but it is one that should be resolved so the HP doesn't incur 
surprises.

-- 
Live well,
~wren