BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
\bˈakwəd kəmpˌatɪbˈɪlɪti], \bˈakwəd kəmpˌatɪbˈɪlɪti], \b_ˈa_k_w_ə_d k_ə_m_p_ˌa_t_ɪ_b_ˈɪ_l_ɪ_t_i]\
Definitions of BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
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When newer software can work with the older version. AKA downward compatibility. Refer to upward compatibility.
By Henry Campbell Black
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Able to share data or commands with older versions ofitself, or sometimes other older systems, particularly systemsit intends to supplant. Sometimes backward compatibility islimited to being able to read old data but does not extend tobeing able to write data in a format that can be read by oldversions.For example, WordPerfect 6.0 can read WordPerfect 5.1 files,so it is backward compatible. It can be said that Perl isbackward compatible with awk, because Perl was (among otherthings) intended to replace awk, and can, with a converter,run awk programs.See also: backward combatability.Compare: forward compatible.
By Denis Howe
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