Provided by: dpkg-dev_1.19.0.5ubuntu2.4_all 
NAME
deb-shlibs - Debian shared library information file
DESCRIPTION
shlibs files map shared library names and versions (sonames) to dependencies suitable for a package
control file. There is one entry per line. Blank lines are not allowed. Lines beginning with an #
character are considered commentary, and are ignored. All other lines must have the format
[type:] library version dependencies
The library and version fields are whitespace-delimited, but the dependencies field extends to the end of
the line. The type field is optional and normally not needed.
The dependencies field has the same syntax as the Depends field in a binary control file, see
deb-control(5).
EXAMPLES
The shlibs file for a typical library package, named libcrunch1, that provides one library whose soname
is libcrunch.so.1, might read
libcrunch 1 libcrunch1 (>= 1.2-1)
The dependencies must mention the most recent version of the package that added new symbols to the
library: in the above example, new symbols were added to version 1.2 of libcrunch. This is not the only
reason the dependencies might need to be tightened.
SEE ALSO
deb-control(5), dpkg-shlibdeps(1), deb-symbols(5).