What is backwards compatibility?

What is compatibility? Compatible

Http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/compatible.html

(n) indicates that a product can work with or are equivalent to another, better-known product. The term was often used as a shorthand for ibm-compatible PCs , a computer that's compatible with an IBM Pc. Another term for a compatible is clone.

(adj) The ability of one device or program to work with another device or program. The term compatible implies different degrees of partnership. For example, a printer and a computer is said to be compatible if they can is connected to each other. An IBM compatible pc, on the other hand, was a computer that can run the same software as an IBM PC.

Software products is compatible if they use the same data formats. For example, many programs is compatible with DBASE. This means, the files they produce can easily be transformed to a DBASE database or that they can import DB ASE files.

Software compatibility refers to the use of the same data format if two software is used.

For example, WPS can open documents for Office, and WPS is compatible with Word.

What is backwards compatibility? Backward compatible

Http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/backward_compatible.html

Backward compatible = = downward compatible (backwards, downwards)

compatibility, for two different objects (at the same time), functionally equal, with the same data format compatible with each other.

Backward compatibility refers to the same brand of products, now and the previous (Time dimension) two devices, using the same data format, now the device compatible with the previous device data format.

Compatible with earlier models or versions of the same product. A new version of a program was said to being backward compatible if it can use files and data created with an older version of The same program. A computer is said to be backward compatible if it can run the same software as the previous model of the computer.

Backward compatibility is important because it eliminates the need-start over when you upgrade to a newer product. A backward-compatible word processor, for instance, allows-to-edit documents created with a previous version of the PR Ogram. In general, manufacturers try to keep all their products backward compatible. Sometimes, however, it's necessary to sacrifice backward compatibility to take advantage of a new technology.

The flip side of backward compatibility is upward compatibility. Upward compatible is the same as backward compatible, except that it's from the point of view of the older model.

Another term for backward compatible is downward compatible.

What is forward compatibility? upward compatible = = forward compatibility (up, forward)

Http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/upward_compatible.html

For a product of the same brand, a device at a certain moment is compatible with the device after this time, and if a device of a certain moment can read and write the data of the device at a time.

Refers to software this runs not only on the computer for which it is designed, but also on newer and more powerful model S. For example, "a program designed" to "run on a" Intel 386 microprocessor, which also runs on a Pentium, is upward compatib Le. Upward compatibility is important because it means the can move to a newer, larger, and more sophisticated computer Withou T converting your data.

In contrast to upward compatibility, downward (backward) compatible means. A program runs not only on the COM Puter for which it is designed, but also on smaller and older models. For example, a program designed to run under MS-DOS 6.0, which also works under MS-DOS 5.0, is downward compatible.

Upward compatibility is sometimes called forward compatibility.

Summarize

upward compatible = = forward compatibility (up, forward)

Backward compatible = = downward compatible (backwards, downwards)

This compatibility refers to (Time dimension), forward, that is, the device (or software) compared with older devices, whether the data can be read older devices;

Backward, refers to the device and the update device comparison, whether you can read the data generated by the update device.

For more details, refer to:

Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_compatibility

What is backwards compatibility?