.\" -*- mode: troff; coding: utf-8 -*-
.TH "" "7" ""
.SH NAME
.LP
comparison - comparison statements for ALPM based packages.
.SH DESCRIPTION
.LP
The \fBcomparison\fR format is a version comparison format, that is used for representing version comparison statements for ALPM based packages in a composite comparison expression.
This format is used in build scripts or file formats for package metadata (e.g. in \fBPKGBUILD\fR or \fBPKGINFO\fR) to describe version bounds for a \fBpackage relation\fR.
.PP
A \fBcomparison\fR statement uses one of the following \fBcomparison\fR operators to specify a version bound relation:
.IP "\(bu" 3
\f(CR<\fR (less than)
.if n \
.sp -1
.if t \
.sp -0.25v
.IP "\(bu" 3
\f(CR<=\fR (less than or equal to)
.if n \
.sp -1
.if t \
.sp -0.25v
.IP "\(bu" 3
\f(CR=\fR (equal to)
.if n \
.sp -1
.if t \
.sp -0.25v
.IP "\(bu" 3
\f(CR>=\fR (greater than or equal to)
.if n \
.sp -1
.if t \
.sp -0.25v
.IP "\(bu" 3
\f(CR>\fR (greater than)
.SS
Composite comparison expressions
.LP
Composite comparison expressions consist of an \fBalpm-package-name\fR, directly followed by a \fBcomparison\fR operator, directly followed by an \fBalpm-package-version\fR.
.SS
Matching comparison expressions
.LP
Name matching is performed based on a full string match using the \fBalpm-package-name\fR component of the composite comparison expression.
.PP
Version comparison is performed based on components of a composite version string (see e.g. \fBalpm-epoch\fR, \fBalpm-pkgver\fR and \fBalpm-pkgrel\fR).
As \fBalpm-package-version\fR offers several forms, this allows for matching a variety of scenarios.
.PP
When providing the \fIfull\fR or \fIfull with epoch\fR form of the \fBalpm-package-version\fR format, it matches \fIexactly one\fR specific release of a package version.
When providing the \fIminimal\fR or \fIminimal with epoch\fR form of the \fBalpm-package-version\fR format, it matches \fIany\fR release of a package version.
.PP
Depending on comparison operator, the given match towards \fBalpm-package-name\fR and \fBalpm-package-version\fR is narrow (i.e. \f(CR=\fR), wide with lower bound (i.e. \f(CR>\fR, \f(CR>=\fR) or wide with upper bound (i.e. \f(CR<\fR, \f(CR<=\fR).
.SH EXAMPLES
.LP
The below composite comparison expressions can be matched by a package named \f(CRexample\fR in specific versions:
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample<1.0.0\(dq
.EE
.PP
A version less than \(oq1.0.0\(cq (e.g. \(oq0.8.0-1\(cq).
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample<=1.0.0\(dq
.EE
.PP
A version less than or equal to \(oq1.0.0\(cq (e.g. \(oq0.8.0-1\(cq or \(oq1.0.0-3\(cq).
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample<=1.0.0-1\(dq
.EE
.PP
A version less than or equal to \(oq1.0.0-1\(cq (e.g. \(oq0.8.0-1\(cq or \(oq1.0.0-1\(cq, but \(oq1.0.0-2\(cq does not work).
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample=1.0.0\(dq
.EE
.PP
Any version \(oq1.0.0\(cq (e.g. \(oq1.0.0-1\(cq or \(oq1.0.0-2\(cq, etc.).
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample=1.0.0-1\(dq
.EE
.PP
The version \(oq1.0.0-1\(cq.
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample=1:1.0.0-1\(dq
.EE
.PP
The version \(oq1:1.0.0-1\(cq.
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample>=1.0.0\(dq
.EE
.PP
A version greater than or equal to \(oq1.0.0\(cq (e.g. \(oq1.0.0-1\(cq or \(oq1.1.0-1\(cq).
.LP
.EX
\(dqexample>1.0.0\(dq
.EE
.PP
A version greater than \(oq1.0.0\(cq (e.g. \(oq1.1.0-1\(cq or \(oq1:1.0.0-1\(cq).
.SH SEE ALSO
.LP
\fBBUILDINFO\fR(5), \fBPKGBUILD\fR(5), \fBPKGINFO\fR(5), \fBalpm-epoch\fR(7), \fBalpm-package-name\fR(7), \fBalpm-package-relation\fR(7), \fBalpm-package-version\fR(7), \fBalpm-pkgrel\fR(7), \fBalpm-pkgver\fR(7), \fBvercmp\fR(8)