NAME

       doc_VERSION_md - Version The version of elektra is handeled with the kdb.h macros
       KDB_VERSION which is a string and KDB_VERSION_MAJOR, KDB_VERSION_MINOR and
       KDB_VERSION_MICRO which are numbers. They represent the public announced version
       information.

       The same information can be retrieved at runtime using
       system/elektra/version/constants/KDB_VERSION
       system/elektra/version/constants/KDB_VERSION_MAJOR
       system/elektra/version/constants/KDB_VERSION_MICRO
       system/elektra/version/constants/KDB_VERSION_MINOR

       KDB_VERSION

       This is the API to programs using elektra. Its interface is defined in src/include/kdb.h.
       Both applications and plugins use this API.

       Additionally there is also a very small API to plugins. It consists of only 5 functions
       and is described in src/plugins/doc/doc.c.

   Compatibility
       This document describes under which circumstances API and ABI incompatiblities may occur.
       As developer from elektra your mission is to avoid that. The tool icheck against the
       interfaces mentioned above may help you too.

       In 0.8.* the API and ABI must be always forward-compatible, but not backwards-compatible.
       That means that a program written and compiled against 0.8.0 compiles and links against
       0.8.1. But because it is not necessarily backendwards-compatible a program written for
       0.8.1 may not link or compile against elektra 0.8.0 (but it may do when you use the
       compatible subset, maybe with #ifdefs).

       Following points are allowed: When you add a new function you break ABI and API backward-
       compatibilty, but not forward, so you are allowed to do so.

       In the signature you are only allowed to add const to any parameter. You are not allowed
       to use subtypes to the objects, in C means you are not allowed to call any functions of an
       object which appear new. C does not typecheck that, its your responsibility.

       What C also does not check are the pre and postconditions. That means you are not allowed
       to demand more client code (e.g. first accept a NULL pointer and in the next version you
       crash on it) and you are not allowed to return values that the previous version did not
       return. It is a complex topic, so better don't underestimate it, but generally said the
       methods should behave on the same data the same way.

       References: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Program-Library-HOWTO/shared-libraries.html
       http://packages.debian.org/de/sid/icheck

   Increment
       This document describes how to increment the KDB_VERSION. KDB_VERSION consists of a
       triplet integer current:revision:age.

       Revision is something which will always incremented when there is a new bugfix release.

       current and age will be incremented by one when you release a compatible but changed API.
       Revision is set back to zero then.

       Note: All 3 Versioning infos are handled separately!

       http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/manual/libtool.html#Versioning

       TODO write about SO_VERSION