Changes between Version 4 and Version 5 of Packages

Timestamp:

Feb 5, 2016, 12:54:29 PM (10 years ago)

Author:

Pedro Gea

Comment:

--

Packages

@@ -26 +26 @@
 == Introduction ==
 
-Bla bla bla ...
+The idea of a package comes from the concept of modularity and the possibility of loading and
+distributing a whole module as a unit. A TOL package is essentially no more than a NameBlock
+distributed in an .oza file. 
+
+In the TOL programming frame, we identify the package with the NameBlock that contains
+the set of classes, structurs, variables, functions and definitions. This is distributed and loaded as
+an unit of the TOL package system.
+
+Looking more from a distribution-focused point of view, a package is a compressed file
+(specifically a .zip file) that contains the nameblock serialisation (an .oza file). This is
+accompanied by other complementary resources that can be: files containing icons or images,
+documentation, libraries of compiled functions (written in C++ and distributed in .dll or .so files)
+and even uncompiled TOL code ( .tol files) by way of example.
+
+== Names and versions ==
+
+A TOL package is identifed by its name and version.
+
+The name of the package matches with the name of the nameblock that represents it. It generally
+follows a CamelCase structure.
+
+The version consists of integers. The first (the high version number) shows if there has been an
+important change in the structure and functionality; one which could break the compatability
+with the user-code in use. The second however (the low version number) shows that changes
+have been made to the package that maintain package-use compatibility. These changes could
+be corrections or the inclusion of new functionalities.
+
+The package identifier is created by linking the name and two version numbers
+<name>.<version.high>.<version.low> with a full-stop (.).
+For example, the identifier {{{GuiTools.3.5}}} makes reference to version 3.5 of GuiTools, which
+includes utilities for TOLBase graphical integration.
 
 == TolPackage ==