Ever Changing Targets

From APIDesign

Have You Ever Wondered...?

Are you afraid of upgrading your favorite application to newer version? I am. Every time I need to upgrade X Window server, I am stressed and ready for problems that almost always appear. Are you asking how this relates to API Design? Easily, the building blocks of our systems which provide some functionality via their APIs (like the X Window server), are expected to evolve and evolve compatibly. It is not hard to produce new version of a framework or library, it is hard to release new version that will remain compatible. This is quite a big difference from in-house software system development and the chapter 4 discusses its implications and the actions we need to take to resolve them.