Versioning
This page explains how legoHDL handles different block versions.
Versions contain 3 distinct integer values under the semantic versioning scheme.
Here is a quick example:
v1.0.3
The first digit is the major version (1).
The second digit is the minor version (0).
The third digit is the patch version (3).
Tip: Throughout this page, a
*will indicate an arbitrary integer value in a version.
legoHDL identifies a block's different versions by checking its git repository for all the commits tagged with v*.*.*-legohdl. This tag is automatically created during the release command.
There are two different types of versions: partial versions and full-versions. These two version types are created to help the user determine what degree of restriction is necessary for the dependent design.
Whenever a version is installed (except for when being installed as latest), all references to designs internal to that block are renamed with _v*_*_*.
Full Versions
A user can install full versions. These are the exact versions spelled out to 3 integer values (v1.0.3). When a full version is ins
Partial Versions
Partial versions are automatically handled and updated by legoHDL as a user installs/uninstalls full versions.
Installation Example
Scenario:
A block called tutorials.gates with version v1.0.3 is to be installed so it can be used in creating new blocks. It has designs and_gate (VHDL entity), nor_gate (VHDL entity), and gates (VHDL package). No other installations exist for this block in this workspace.
Every reference to and_gate, nor_gate and gates for all HDL files within the tutorials.gates block will be renamed to and_gate_v1_0_3, nor_gate_v1_0_3 and gates_v1_0_3, respectively.
Design transformations in the workspace's cache for tutorials.gates(v1.0.3@v1.0.3):
and_gate->and_gate_v1_0_3nor_gate->nor_gate_v1_0_3gates->gates_v1_0_3
A partial version will be created under v1. To minimize the amount of space used, partials only keep their own HDL files and will reference all other supporting files in the block's full version.
A partial version v1 will be installed.
Design transformations in the workspace's cache for tutorials.gates(v1@v1.0.3):
and_gate->and_gate_v1nor_gate->nor_gate_v1gates->gates_v1
A partial version will also be created under v1.0.
A partial version v1.0 will be installed.
Design transformations in the workspace's cache for tutorials.gates(v1.0@v1.0.3):
and_gate->and_gate_v1_0nor_gate->nor_gate_v1_0gates->gates_v1_0
Why Partials?
Partial versions exist to give a dependency flexibility. If a developer chooses to say use a partial v1, then they assume as this design improves while holding the major version constant (1), this block can use any changes/improvements that may occur over time.
Latest Versions
You can also reference the latest version that's installed in the cache (and also giving a dependency maximum flexibility) by using no identifier modifier when instantiating a dependent design (no design name transformations occur in the latest version installation).