Re: libtool versioning

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Tue, 4 May 2010, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> Looked it up in the net now, e.g.,
> <http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/may-might.aspx>, tells me that I
> should be using "might" instead of "may" only for things that are rather
> improbable to happen.
> <http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramch10.html> tells me
> that "may" can be used as a more formal form of some meanings of "can"
> or "is able to", which I think is applicable here.  Remains avoidance of
> repetition, which is generally a good thing in flowing text but not
> needed so much in technical documentation which is more concerned with
> correctness.
>
> I'll apply the patch below soon unless I hear complaints.

As a native english speaker, I don't think that these particular 
improvements are improvements.  I like the existing text better.

Bob

> Thanks,
> Ralf
>
>    Reword alternate versioning algorithm a bit.
>
>    * doc/libtool.texi (Updating version info): Replace some uses of
>    `may' with `might' or `can' as appropriate.
>    Suggestion by Tor Lillqvist.
>
> diff --git a/doc/libtool.texi b/doc/libtool.texi
> index 987b232..ec24a2f 100644
> --- a/doc/libtool.texi
> +++ b/doc/libtool.texi
> @@ -2947,7 +2947,7 @@ Instead, use the @option{-release} flag (@pxref{Release 
> numbers}), but be
> warned that every release of your package will not be binary compatible
> with any other release.
>
> -The following explanation may help to understand the above rules a bit
> +The following explanation can help to understand the above rules a bit
> better: consider that there are three possible kinds of reactions from
> users of your library to changes in a shared library:
>
> @@ -2961,14 +2961,14 @@ is needed.  In this case, bump @var{revision} only, 
> don't touch
>
> @item
> Programs using the previous version may use the new version as
> -drop-in replacement, but programs using the new version may use APIs not
> +drop-in replacement, but programs using the new version can use APIs not
> present in the previous one.  In other words, a program linking against
> -the new version may fail with ``unresolved symbols'' if linking against
> +the new version might fail with ``unresolved symbols'' if linking against
> the old version at runtime: set @var{revision} to 0, bump @var{current}
> and @var{age}.
>
> @item
> -Programs may need to be changed, recompiled, relinked in order to use
> +Programs might need to be changed, recompiled, relinked in order to use
> the new version.  Bump @var{current}, set @var{revision} and @var{age}
> to 0.
> @end enumerate

--
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/