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Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 23 Jun 2010 23:43
by mikeyd
I'm programming a C# interface against the libVLC API.

I recognized, that the API changes from (sub)version to (sub)version, what makes it difficult and time-consuming to keep the c# interface up-to-date.

In the new version 1.1.0 not only the API functions and functionality changed, but also the existing enumeration values changed ...

Why is it not possible to define an API where only the code-behind changes? Or at least keep the changes as small as possible?

Re: Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 02:37
by RĂ©mi Denis-Courmont
This topic is not open for discussion. The API change and the ABI break was agreed a year ago on the vlc-devel mailing list. You're way too late.

Re: Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 12:29
by mikeyd
So, could you at least tell me, whether the API in the next version change again or is the API 1.1.0 stable now?

Thanks.

Re: Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 13:40
by ivoire
Th'ats impossible to say right now. But the changes between 1.1 API and 1.2 API will normally but smaller than the ones from 1.0 to 1.1 (deletion of the exceptions).
We are trying to keep the changes as small as possible but for this case (the exceptions) it was a design problem which must be fixed (and was fixed in 1.1).

Re: Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 14:30
by mikeyd
Thanks.

Re: Why does API change from version to version?

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 18:23
by Jean-Baptiste Kempf
Indeed, we will add functions, but we shouldn't break the API as much as we did between 1.0 and 1.1