RE: Library Versioning

[Diego Nehab <diego@...>]

Hi,

> I see the point, but I still think that compatible versions (same API)
> should get only third number versions (you can look at them as fixing the
> source so it now compiles in 5.1) and incompatible versions should get
> second or even first number versions (since now one version works and the
> other don't).

I don't think we are understanding each other. There are *no* API
changes between LuaSocket 2.0 and LuaSocket 2.0.1. It's a bugfix version
and an upgrade to Compat-5.1r5. We agree on the versioning here.

Now suppose LuaSocket 2.0 did /not/ support Lua 5.1, but only Lua 5.0.
And suppose LuaSocket 2.0.1 supported Lua 5.1. How is the user supposed
to know about this? Reading the manual? Should I release it as LuaSocket
2.1 instead? This wouldn't make sense, there were no API changes as far
as Lua code is concerned.

This is the point. A library can support the same Lua side API
throughout different Lua releases. How do we associate version numbers
to such a library?  Ideally, the user would be able to tell *both* what
is the Lua side API compatibility and what Lua versions are supported.

Regards,
Diego.