backward combatability /bak'w*rd k*m-bat'*-bil'*-tee/ n.
[CMU, Tektronix: from `backward compatibility'] A property of
hardware or software revisions in which previous protocols,
formats, layouts, etc. are irrevocably discarded in favor of `new
and improved' protocols, formats, and layouts, leaving the previous
ones not merely deprecated but actively defeated. (Too often, the
old and new versions cannot definitively be distinguished, such
that lingering instances of the previous ones yield crashes or
other infelicitous effects, as opposed to a simple "version
mismatch" message.) A backwards compatible change, on the other
hand, allows old versions to coexist without crashes or error
messages, but too many major changes incorporating elaborate
backwards compatibility processing can lead to extreme software bloat. See also
[CMU, Tektronix: from `backward compatibility'] A property of
hardware or software revisions in which previous protocols,
formats, layouts, etc. are irrevocably discarded in favor of `new
and improved' protocols, formats, and layouts, leaving the previous
ones not merely deprecated but actively defeated. (Too often, the
old and new versions cannot definitively be distinguished, such
that lingering instances of the previous ones yield crashes or
other infelicitous effects, as opposed to a simple "version
mismatch" message.) A backwards compatible change, on the other
hand, allows old versions to coexist without crashes or error
messages, but too many major changes incorporating elaborate
backwards compatibility processing can lead to extreme software bloat. See also
Related:
- backward combatability: /bak'w*rd k*m-bat'*-bil'*-tee/ [from
`backward compatibility'] n.
A property of hardware or software revisions in... - flag day: n. A software change that is neither forward-
nor backward-compatible, and which is costly to... - ALL NEW ............ The software is not compatible with previous versions
-
computer terms as seen from a Marketing point of... - flag day n.
A software change that is neither forward-
nor backward-compatible, and which is costly to make... - BSD /B-S-D/ n.
[abbreviation for `Berkeley Software
Distribution'] a family of Unix versions for the DEC
VAX and PDP-11 developed by Bill Joy and others at
Berzerkeley starting around 1980,
incorporating paged virtual memory, TCP/IP networking... - retrocomputing: /ret'-roh-k*m-pyoo'ting/ n. Refers to emulations
of way-behind-the-state-of-the-art hardware or software,
or implementations of never-was-state-of-the-art... - retrocomputing /ret'-roh-k*m-pyoo'ting/ n.
Refers to
emulations of way-behind-the-state-of-the-art hardware or software,
or implementations of never-was-state-of-the-art; esp... - MUD /muhd/ n.
[acronym, Multi-User Dungeon; alt.
Multi-User Dimension] 1. A class of virtual reality... - footprint n.
1. The floor or desk area taken up by a piece
of hardware.
2. [IBM] The audit trail (if any) left by a crashed...
