.TH "alpm-comparison" 7

.SH "NAME"
.PP
comparison \- comparison statements for ALPM based packages\.

.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
The \fBcomparison\fP 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\fP or \fBPKGINFO\fP) to describe version bounds for a \fBpackage relation\fP\.
.PP
A \fBcomparison\fP statement uses one of the following \fBcomparison\fP operators to specify a version bound relation:
.RS
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
`\f[CR]<\fP` (less than)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
`\f[CR]<=\fP` (less than or equal to)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
`\f[CR]=\fP` (equal to)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
`\f[CR]>=\fP` (greater than or equal to)
.El
.Bl
.IP \(bu 4
`\f[CR]>\fP` (greater than)
.El
.RE

.SS "Composite comparison expressions"
.PP
Composite comparison expressions consist of an \fBalpm\-package\-name\fP, directly followed by a \fBcomparison\fP operator, directly followed by an \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP\.

.SS "Matching comparison expressions"
.PP
Name matching is performed based on a full string match using the \fBalpm\-package\-name\fP component of the composite comparison expression\.
.PP
Version comparison is performed based on components of a composite version string (see e\.g\. \fBalpm\-epoch\fP, \fBalpm\-pkgver\fP and \fBalpm\-pkgrel\fP)\.
As \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP offers several forms, this allows for matching a variety of scenarios\.
.PP
When providing the \fIfull\fP or \fIfull with epoch\fP form of the \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP format, it matches \fIexactly one\fP specific release of a package version\.
When providing the \fIminimal\fP or \fIminimal with epoch\fP form of the \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP format, it matches \fIany\fP release of a package version\.
.PP
Depending on comparison operator, the given match towards \fBalpm\-package\-name\fP and \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP is narrow (i\.e\. `\f[CR]=\fP`), wide with lower bound (i\.e\. `\f[CR]>\fP`, `\f[CR]>=\fP`) or wide with upper bound (i\.e\. `\f[CR]<\fP`, `\f[CR]<=\fP`)\.

.SH "EXAMPLES"
.PP
The below composite comparison expressions can be matched by a package named `\f[CR]example\fP` in specific versions:
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example<1\.0\.0"
.fi
.RE
.PP
A version less than '1\.0\.0' (e\.g\. '0\.8\.0\-1')\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example<=1\.0\.0"
.fi
.RE
.PP
A version less than or equal to '1\.0\.0' (e\.g\. '0\.8\.0\-1' or '1\.0\.0\-3')\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example<=1\.0\.0\-1"
.fi
.RE
.PP
A version less than or equal to '1\.0\.0\-1' (e\.g\. '0\.8\.0\-1' or '1\.0\.0\-1', but '1\.0\.0\-2' does not work)\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example=1\.0\.0"
.fi
.RE
.PP
Any version '1\.0\.0' (e\.g\. '1\.0\.0\-1' or '1\.0\.0\-2', etc\.)\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example=1\.0\.0\-1"
.fi
.RE
.PP
The version '1\.0\.0\-1'\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example=1:1\.0\.0\-1"
.fi
.RE
.PP
The version '1:1\.0\.0\-1'\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example>=1\.0\.0"
.fi
.RE
.PP
A version greater than or equal to '1\.0\.0' (e\.g\. '1\.0\.0\-1' or '1\.1\.0\-1')\.
.RS
.PP
.nf
"example>1\.0\.0"
.fi
.RE
.PP
A version greater than '1\.0\.0' (e\.g\. '1\.1\.0\-1' or '1:1\.0\.0\-1')\.

.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP
\fBBUILDINFO\fP(5), \fBPKGBUILD\fP(5), \fBPKGINFO\fP(5), \fBalpm\-epoch\fP(7), \fBalpm\-package\-name\fP(7), \fBalpm\-package\-relation\fP(7), \fBalpm\-package\-version\fP(7), \fBalpm\-pkgrel\fP(7), \fBalpm\-pkgver\fP(7), \fBvercmp\fP(8)