'\"macro stdmacro
.if n .pH g4.compver @(#)compver	40.6 of 10/10/89
.\" Copyright 1989 AT&T
.nr X
.if \nX=0 .ds x} compver 4 "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.if \nX=1 .ds x} compver 4 "Essential Utilities"
.if \nX=2 .ds x} compver 4 "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.if \nX=3 .ds x} compver 4 "Essential Utilities" "\&"
.TH \*(x}
.SH NAME
\f4compver\f1 \- compatible versions file
.SH DESCRIPTION
\f4compver\fP
is an ASCII file used to specify previous versions of the associated package
which are upward compatible.  It is created by a package developer.
.PP
Each line of the file specifies a previous version of the associated package
with which the current version is backward compatible.
.PP
Since some packages may require installation of a specific version of another
software package, compatibility information is extremely crucial.  Consider, for
example, a package called
"A" which requires version "1.0" of application "B" as a prerequisite for
installation.  If the
customer installing "A" has a newer version of "B" (version 1.3), the
\f4compver\fP
file for "B" must indicate that "1.3" is compatible with version
"1.0" in order for the customer to install package "A".
.PP
.SH NOTES
The comparison of the version string disregards white space and tabs.  It is
performed on a word-by-word basis.  Thus "Version         1.3" and "Version 1.3"
would be considered the same.
.SH EXAMPLE
A sample
\f4compver\fP
file is shown below.
.PP
.nf
.ft CW
Version 1.3
Version 1.0
.ft R
.f
.\"	@(#)compver.4	5.2 of 6/16/87
.Ee
