Overview

ELF objects processed by the link-editors provide many global symbols to which other objects can bind. These symbols describe the object's application binary interface (ABI). During the evolution of an object, this interface can change due to the addition or deletion of global symbols. In addition, the object's evolution can involve internal implementation changes.

Versioning refers to several techniques that can be applied to an object to indicate interface and implementation changes. These techniques provide for the object's controlled evolution while maintaining backward compatibility.

This chapter describes how an object's ABI can be defined, classifies how changes to this interface can affect backward compatibility, and presents models by which interface and implementation changes can be incorporated into new releases of the object.

The focus of this chapter is on the runtime interfaces of dynamic executables and shared objects. The techniques used to describe and manage changes within these dynamic objects are presented in generic terms. A common set of naming conventions and versioning scenarios, as applied to shared objects, can be found in Appendix B, Versioning Quick Reference.

It is important that developers of dynamic objects be aware of the ramifications of an interface change, and understand how such changes can be managed, especially in regards to maintaining backward compatibility with previously shipped objects.

The global symbols made available by any dynamic object represent the object's public interface. Frequently, the number of global symbols remaining in an object at the end of a link-edit are more than you would like to make public. These global symbols derive from the interrelationships required between the relocatable objects used to create the object, and represent private interfaces within the object itself.

A precursor to defining an object's binary interface is to first define only those global symbols you wish to make publicly available from the object being created. These public symbols can be established using the link-editor's -M option and an associated mapfile as part of the final link-edit. This technique is introduced in "Reducing Symbol Scope". This public interface establishes one or more version definitions within the object being created, and forms the foundation for the addition of new interfaces as the object evolves.

The following sections build upon this initial public interface. First though, it is useful to understand how various changes to an interface can be categorized so that they can be managed appropriately.