Re: Informix RDS 4.15 & 4.16

We're trying to be responsive to customers. We're trying to fix as many bugs as possible, both new and long-standing ones. We're aiming at a point release (4.1x, 4.1y) release every 6 months or so. The schedule for the Engines group is even more agressive -- I believe they are aiming at a 4 month cycle. Version 4.15 is the logical next version after 4.14; likewise 6.03 after 6.02. Two versions are always released in parallel; version 4.1x is released at the same time as 6.0(x-2). Yes, there was a compatability problem with 4.13; no, it didn't affect the 6.01 product. In detail, the attribute bytes for DISPLAY statements was changed from a 2-byte quantity to a 4-byte quantity. It didn't affect 6.01 because both 6.00 and 6.01 already used the 4-byte attributes; it was one of the (less important) reasons why the version 6 p-code system used p-code 10 instead of p-code 8. Yes, it was serious. Yes, it is resolved in 4.14/6.02. Note that version 4.14 and 6.02 both generate distinct new p-code versions when new features which are not backwards compatible are used. When I last looked (a couple of months before the release date), Version 4.14 also generated the new p-code version for the new 4-byte attributes. The version 4.14 runners (fglgo, fgldb) accept both the 4.12 and the 4.13 p-code files, using an algorithm to determine whether the display attributes are 2-byte or 4-byte. It is still recommended to recompile completely. Read the release notes carefully. Yours, Jonathan Leffler (johnl@informix.com) #include <disclaimer.h> >From: Sally Woolrich <Sally@excelsis.demon.co.uk> >Date: Wed, 06 Sep 95 14:22:08 GMT >X-Informix-List-Id: <news.16763> > >We found a problem with Informix-RDS 4.13. The p-code generated >wasn't compatable with earlier versions of p-code 8 (and vice-versa). >So we rebuilt wiht 4.13 & ordered it for our customer. What was >delivered? 4.14! And now there are *rumours* that 4.15 & 4.16 are >close behind! > >Are the rumours true? If so, what sort of problems are Informix >having to be producing so many versions so fast? Is there >an Informix white knight (or knightess!) on a white charger out >there who can be informative & definative?