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POLYCENTER Software Installation Utility Developer's
Guide
2.3.2 Compressed Format
A software product kit created in compressed format is a single file
whose name is in the following format:
producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI$COMPRESSED
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For example:
DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI$COMPRESSED
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2.3.3 Reference Format
A software product kit created in reference format consists of a
directory tree populated with product files used during installation.
The directory structure mirrors the directory structure of the product
on the user's disk after installation. The top-level directory contains
the PDF and PTF. The presence of the PDF identifies this as a kit in
reference format. There is no .PCSI container file for a kit in
reference format. The PDF and PTF are named as follows:
producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI$DESCRIPTION
producer-base-product-version-kittype.PCSI$TLB
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For example:
DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI$DESCRIPTION
DEC-AXPVMS-DWMOTIF-V0102-6-1.PCSI$TLB
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2.3.4 Kit Naming Rules and Conventions
The fields in a kit name are position-dependent and provide useful
information about the kit. There are a few general naming rules:
- Each field in the file name is separated by a hyphen.
- The length of the file name string (including all required hyphens)
cannot exceed 39 characters.
- The producer-base-product portion of the
string must uniquely identify the software product.
The fields are defined as follows:
- producer is the legal owner of the software product. For
Hewlett-Packard software products this component of the file name is
usually HP, although it may be CPQ or DEC.
- base denotes the hardware and operating system combination
that the product requires. For OpenVMS Integrity systems, use I64VMS;
for OpenVMS Alpha systems, use AXPVMS; for OpenVMS VAX systems, use
VAXVMS; for products that can be installed on any OpenVMS platform, use
VMS.
- product is the name of the software product. For example,
DWMOTIF.
- version identifies the version of the software product
expressed in tmn-ue format. For example, V0102-6 denotes
V1.2-6. See Table 2-1 for more information.
- kittype identifies a kit type specified as a value from 1
through 7, as shown in Table 2-2.
2.3.5 More About the Version Field
The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility uses the version field to
determine which kit is the most recent and therefore which kit
supersedes another kit for the same product. The version field is in
the format tmn-ue. This format is described in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Format of tmn-ue Version Identification
t
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The type of version (a single uppercase alphabetic character A through
V; the letters W, X, Y, and Z are reserved for use by Hewlett-Packard).
Evaluated by ascending ASCII value. Pre-release versions of a product
usually begin with the letters A through U and V is used to indicate
the formal release version.
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m
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The major version number (decimal integer 01 through 99).
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n
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The minor version number (decimal integer 00 through 99).
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-
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The hyphen is required in all cases. When both update level (u) and
maintenance edit level (e) are omitted, the version string will end
with a hyphen and the file name will have a double hyphen (- -)
preceding the kit type.
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u
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The update level (decimal integer 1 through 999999999). This is
optional. If not present, the utility evaluates this component as 0.
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e
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The maintenance edit level (up to 16 alphanumeric characters beginning
with an alphabetic character). This is optional. If not present, the
utility evaluates this component as a null string.
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When the utility compares the file specifications of two kits for the
same product to determine the latest version of the product, it
examines the version strings as follows:
- Compares the components of the version field in the following order:
- Major version number (m)
- Minor version number (n)
- Update level (u)
- Maintenance edit level (e)
- Version type (t)
It is important to note that version
type (t) is the last component to be evaluated. Because it
indicates the delivery status (internal, external, beta, and so on) of
the product in the development cycle, it is considered the least
important component.
- Stops when it finds two components that are not equal, or
determines that all five components are equal.
- Evaluates alphabetic characters and numbers in ascending order.
Once you use an update level (u) or a maintenance edit level
(e) in the product version field, that component must be
carried throughout the release cycle of the product to ensure proper
evaluation by the utility.
For example, if you release a test version of your product called
E7.3-10 (expressed as E0703-10 in tmn-ue format) and then drop
the update number in the final version V7.3, the utility will not
recognize V7.3 as the latest version. This is what happens:
- The utility stops the comparison after it finds two components that
are not equal. In this case, it stops at the update level.
- Because the update level is not present in V7.3, it is evaluated as
0. Ten (10), the update level in E7.3-10, is greater than zero (0).
- Since version type is evaluated last, it is not a factor here.
Once the update level is established, as in E7.3-10, do not omit it
(causing it to default to zero (0)) until you increase the major or
minor version. Any of the following examples of version numbers would
supersede E7.3-10:
- D7.3-10A, because A is greater than the null string.
- V7.3-10, because V is greater than E.
- A7.3-11, because 11 is greater than 10.
2.3.6 Version Information Visible to the OpenVMS Users
The tmn-ue format used in file names is similar to the format
used to display versions to OpenVMS users, or as entered by the OpenVMS
user with the /VERSION qualifier.
However, when the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility displays a version to the OpenVMS user:
- Leading zeros are omitted in m and n.
- If neither u nor e is present, the hyphen (-) is
omitted.
The following version information is contained in the OpenVMS
System Manager's Manual. However, it is worth repeating the
information here to make sure that you know how the product version is
interpreted.
- If a hyphen is present and the first character after the hyphen is
a digit, then the leading digits after the hyphen are the update level.
If nondigit characters are present, the maintenance edit level consists
of the first nondigit character and all following characters. If
nondigit characters are not present, the maintenance edit level is
blank.
- If a hyphen is present and the first character after the hyphen is
a nondigit character, the update level is zero (0) and the maintenance
edit level consists of all of the characters after the hyphen.
- If no hyphen is present, the update level is zero (0) and the
maintenance edit level is blank.
2.3.7 More About the Kit Type
The POLYCENTER Software Installation utility supports the seven kit types described in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2 PDF Kit Types and Values
Value |
Type of Kit |
Description |
1
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Full
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Layered product (application) software.
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2
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Operating system
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Operating system software.
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3
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Partial
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An upgrade to currently installed software that replaces or provides
new files. Installation of this kit changes the version of the product.
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4
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Patch
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A correction to currently installed software that replaces or provides
new files. Installation of this kit does not change the version of the
product.
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5
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Platform
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An integrated set of software products (also known as a software
product suite).
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6
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Transition
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Product information used to register (in the POLYCENTER Software
Installation database) a product that was installed by VMSINSTAL or
other mechanism. This kit includes only a PDF and (optionally) a PTF;
it does not provide product material.
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7
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Mandatory update
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A required correction to currently installed software that replaces or
provides new files. Installation of this kit does not change the
version of the product. Functionally the same as a patch kit.
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