For All Releases (major, minor, beta, RC)
================

* Release version number changes
	o run src/tools/version_stamp.pl, then run autoconf
	  (by packager) (beta)

* Release notes
	o run git log and, if useful, src/tools/git_changelog
	o update doc/src/sgml/release.sgml
	o run spellchecker on result
	o add SGML markup
	o check if 'gmake HISTORY.html' works for <link>s

* Update timezone data to match latest zic database and new
  Windows releases, if any (see src/timezone/README)

* Translation updates
	Translations are kept in the project "pgtranslation" on PgFoundry.
	1. Check out the messages module (of the right branch).
	2. Tag the messages: cvs tag -c RELx_y_z
	3. Check out the admin module.
	4. From babel.postgresql.org, download the "qualified list"
	   for the respective branch.
	5. Run "sh .../admin/cp-po -L qualified-list-xxx.txt .../messages .../pgsql
	6. Commit.


For Major Releases
==================
(in addition to the above)

* Release notes
	o use git log or src/tools/git_changelog to find the relevant commits
	o check completion of items that have been marked as completed at
	  http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Todo
	o remove completed TODO items
	o group items into categories
	o select major features
	o select incompatibilities
	o add documentation for items

* Documentation
	o document all new features
	o update help output from inside the programs
	o doc/src/sgml/ref manual pages
	o convert any literal "<" and ">" characters, use tools/find_gt_lt
	o update the sizes specified for installation requirements
	  (doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml, section "install-requirements")
	o update the shared memory size requirement table
	  (doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml, section "shared-memory-parameters")

* Ports
	o update config.guess and config.sub at the start of beta
	  (from http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/config)
	o update ports list in doc/src/sgml/installation.sgml
	o update platform-specific FAQ's, if needed

* Update inet/cidr data types with newest Bind patches


Starting a New Development Cycle
================================

* Create a branch in git for maintenance of the previous release

* Increment the major version number in src/tools/version_stamp.pl

* Run "src/tools/version_stamp.pl devel", then run autoconf

* Bump minor library versions, major if appropriate (see below)
	o src/interfaces/*/Makefile
	o src/interfaces/*/*/Makefile


Creating Back-Branch Release Notes
==================================

* Run src/tools/git_changelog to generate a list of relevant commits

* On the git master branch, edit and create SGML markup for the most recent
  branch in that branch's release-N.N.sgml file

* Copy this into older branches' release-N.N.sgml files, then remove
  items that do not apply based on commit logs for that branch (and add
  any that are needed)

* Copy the appropriate release-N.N.sgml files into each back branch


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       Library Version Changes
                       =======================

Major Version
=============

The major version number should be updated whenever the source of the
library changes to make it binary incompatible. Such changes include,
but are not limited to:

1. Removing a public function or structure (or typedef, enum, ...)

2. Modifying a public functions arguments.

3. Removing a field from a public structure.

4. Adding a field to a public structure, unless steps have been
previously taken to shield users from such a change, for example by
such structures only ever being allocated/instantiated by a library
function which would give the new field a suitable default value.

Adding a new function should NOT force an increase in the major version
number. (Packagers will see the standard minor number update and install
the new library.)  When the major version is increased all applications
which link to the library MUST be recompiled - this is not desirable. When
the major version is updated the minor version gets reset.

Minor Version
=============

The minor version number should be updated whenever the functionality of
the library has changed, typically a change in source code between releases
would mean an increase in the minor version number so long as it does not
require a major version increase.

Given that we make at least minor changes to our libraries in every major
PostgreSQL version, we always bump all minor library version numbers at the
start of each development cycle as a matter of policy.

Minimizing Changes
==================

When modifying public functions arguments, steps should be taken to
maintain binary compatibility across minor PostgreSQL releases (e.g. the
7.2 series, the 7.3 series, the 7.4/8.0 series). Consider the following
function:

	void print_stuff(int arg1, int arg2)
	{
	    printf("stuff: %d %d\n", arg1, arg2);
	}

If we wanted to add a third argument:
	
	void print_stuff(int arg1, int arg2, int arg3)
	{
	    printf("stuff: %d %d %d\n", arg1, arg2, arg3);
	}

Then doing it like this:

	void print_stuff2(int arg1, int arg2, int arg3)
	{
	    printf("stuff: %d %d %d\n", arg1, arg2, arg3);
	}

	void print_stuff(int arg1, int arg2)
	{
	    print_stuff(arg1, arg2, 0);
	}

would maintain binary compatibility. Obviously this would add a fair
bit of cruft if used extensively, but considering the changes between
minor versions would probably be worthwhile to avoid bumping library
major version. Naturally in the next major version print_stuff() would
assume the functionality and arguments of print_stuff2().


Lee Kindness
