:backward combatability: /bak'w*rd k*m-bat'*-bil'*-tee/ [from
`backward compatibility'] n. 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 {flag
day}.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
`backward compatibility'] n. 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 {flag
day}.
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- backward combatability /bak'w*rd k*m-bat'*-bil'*-tee/ n.
[CMU, Tektronix: from `backward compatibility'] A property... - flag day: n. A software change that is neither forward-
nor backward-compatible, and which is costly to... - flag day n.
A software change that is neither forward-
nor backward-compatible, and which is costly to make... - ALL NEW ............ The software is not compatible with previous versions
-
computer terms as seen from a Marketing point of... - 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... - General Public Virus: n. Pejorative name for some versions of the
{GNU} project {copyleft} or General Public License (GPL),
which requires that any tools or {app}s incorporating... - cascade: n. 1. A huge volume of spurious error-message output
produced by a compiler with poor error recovery.
Too frequently, one trivial syntax error (such as... - dusty deck: n. Old software (especially applications) which one is
obliged to remain compatible with,
or to maintain ({DP} types call this `legacy code'...
