Extension Versions

OpenOffice.org Developer's Guide

Extensions

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• Extension Manager

• Extension Repositories
• The Active Extension
• Updating Extensions
• Processing Extensions
• Packaging Notes For Bundled Extensions
• Deployment Items
• Installing Extensions for All or a Single User
• Extension Manager in OpenOffice.org
• unopkg
• Location of Installed Extensions
• Extension Layers

• Checklist for Writing Extensions
• File Format
• description.xml

• Description of XML Elements
• Localized XML Elements
• Example

• Display Name
• Icon
• Extension Description
• Extension Identifiers
• Extension Versions
• Target Platform
• Simple License
• Dependencies
• Publisher Information
• System Integration
• Online Update of Extensions

• Running Online - Update
• Concept
• Example Scenario for Providing Updates
• Migration of Update Information
• Description of the Update Information
• Description of Atom Feed
• Examples

• Options Dialog

• Creating the GUI of the Options Page
• Saving and Reading Data for the Options Page
• Defining the Usage of Options Pages

• Adding a Leaf to an Existing Node
• Adding Several Leaves
• Grouping of Leaves
• Adding Nodes
• Adding Several Nodes
• Absolute Position of Leaves
• Grouping of Nodes
• Assigning Nodes to Modules
• Defining a Module
• Absolute Position of Nodes

• The Options Dialog of the Extension Manager

• Help Content

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Extensions are often improved over time. That is, publishers want to ship new versions of the same extension with added functionality and/or bug fixes. Adding extension versions allows publishers to ship new versions, and allows OpenOffice.org to detect and handle the case that an extension installed by the user is an update of an existing extension.

Technically, an extension version v is defined as an infinite sequence of non-negative integers v = ‹v₀, v₁, ...› where all but a finite number of elements have the value zero. A total order is defined on versions via lexicographical comparison. A textual representation of a version v = ‹v₀, v₁, ...› is a finite string built from the BNF

 version ::= [element (“.” element)*]
 element ::= (“0” | “1” | “2” | “3” | “4” | “5” | “6” | “7” | “8” | “9”)+

of n ≥ 0 elements where each element is a decimal representation of v_i for 0 ≤ i < n, and each v_i = 0 for i ≥ n.

The extension version is obtained from the description.xml contained in the extension. If the extension does not specify such an explicit version, then an implict textual version representation of the empty string (representing a version of all zeroes) is assumed.

No general semantics are prescribed to versions, other than the total order which determines whether one version is less than, equal to, or greater than another version, respectively. However, extension publishers are encouraged to use the widely accepted three-level scheme of major (incompatible changes), minor (compatible changes), micro (bug fixes) where applicable.

Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).