Re: module _VERSION number scheme proposal

[Miles Bader <miles@...>]

David Manura <dm.lua@math2.org> writes:
> It is a trade-off.  The main intention of the zero padding is to allow
> versions to be compared by simple string comparison, i.e. without any
> external version library like verlib [1].
>
>   local B = require 'baz'
>   local V = require 'verlib'
>   if V(B._VERSION) >= V'1.2.5' then
>        -- as opposed to just `B._VERSION >= '001.002.005'`
>    . . .
>   else
>     . . .
>   end
>
> Implementing verlib in Lua would also be a valid approach though.
> Should we bother?  With git, we just accept unfriendly version numbers
> (e.g. 8d1985807b).

I think a simple "version_compare" function (version_greater, whatever)
would be more straight-forward; indeed, something like that already
exists in GNU libc -- strverscmp.  The basic idea is:  compare
lexigraphically, but compare any embedded integers as numbers.

-Miles

-- 
Friendship, n. A ship big enough to carry two in fair weather, but only one
in foul.