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| -rw-r--r-- | doc/abi.rst | 23 |
1 files changed, 10 insertions, 13 deletions
diff --git a/doc/abi.rst b/doc/abi.rst index 319c1fc81..0fa26d21b 100644 --- a/doc/abi.rst +++ b/doc/abi.rst @@ -2,18 +2,15 @@ API/ABI Stability ==================== -The API and ABI in development branches (those with an odd number, such as 1.11 -or 2.1) is subject to change without notice. We don't go out of our way to break -client code, but if a possibility for serious improvement is seen it is taken. +API of release branches is stable; that is to say code that compiles and works +against 2.0.0 should also compile with all later 2.x.x versions. The API on +master is completely fair game and may change at any time. -For stable branches (1.10, 2.0) API stability is considered important. -Coorespondingly they see mostly security and bug fixes, or improvements -backported from the devel tree when doing so would not cause problems for -existing code. Code written and working for .0 of a stable release should -continue to work with later releases from the same branch. +Maintaining a consistent ABI while evolving a complex C++ API is exceedingly +expensive in development time. It is likely ABI breakage will occur at least +occasionally even in release branches. In these cases, the soname revision will +increase to prevent applications from linking against a potentially incompatible +version at runtime. -However maintaining a consistent ABI while changing a complex C++ API is -exceedingly expensive in development time, and even in the stable branches ABI -breakage may be necessary to fix a security issue or other major bug. If ABI -breakage knowingly occurs in the stable tree it will be documented accordingly -in the release notes and the soname revision will be ticked up. +You can review a report on ABI changes to Botan at +https://abi-laboratory.pro/tracker/timeline/botan/ |