backward combatability

2 definitions found

backward combatability - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  backward combatability
  
     <humour> /bak'w*d k*m-bat'*-bil'*-tee/ (Play on "backward compatibility
     ") A property of hardware or software revisions
     in which previous protocols, formats, layouts, etc. are
     irrevocably discarded in favour of "new and improved"
     protocols, formats and layouts, leaving the previous ones not
     merely deprecated but actively defeated.  (Too often, the old
     and new versions cannot definitively be distinguished, such
     that lingering instances of the previous ones yield crashes or
     other infelicitous effects, as opposed to a simple "version
     mismatch" message.)  A backward compatible change, on the
     other hand, allows old versions to coexist without crashes or
     error messages, but too many major changes incorporating
     elaborate backward compatibility processing can lead to
     extreme software bloat.
  
     See also flag day.
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (2003-06-23)
  

backward combatability - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  backward combatability
   /bak'w@rd k@m.bat'@.bil'@.tee/, n.
  
     [CMU, Tektronix: from backward compatibility] A property of hardware
     or software revisions in which previous protocols, formats, layouts,
     etc. are irrevocably discarded in favor of `new and improved'
     protocols, formats, and layouts, leaving the previous ones not merely
     deprecated but actively defeated. (Too often, the old and new
  versions
     cannot definitively be distinguished, such that lingering instances
  of
     the previous ones yield crashes or other infelicitous effects, as
     opposed to a simple "version mismatch" message.) A backwards
     compatible change, on the other hand, allows old versions to coexist
     without crashes or error messages, but too many major changes
     incorporating elaborate backwards compatibility processing can lead
  to
     extreme software bloat. See also flag day.