major release

programming A release of a piece of software which is not

merely a revision or a bug fix release but which contains

substantial changes (e.g., an overhaul of the interface,

change in compatibility).

Traditionally, major releases are numbered as X.0; for

example, WordPerfect 6.0 is a major release, significantly

different from any previous version; whereas WordPerfect 6.1

has only minor changes, and is, thus, only a revision.

See also major delivery.

(1996-08-04)