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NAME
       comparison - comparison statements for ALPM based packages.

DESCRIPTION
       The comparison 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 PKGBUILD or PKGINFO) to
       describe version bounds for a package relation.

       A comparison statement uses one of the following comparison operators
       to specify a version bound relation:

       o  < (less than)
       o  <= (less than or equal to)
       o  = (equal to)
       o  >= (greater than or equal to)
       o  > (greater than)

   Composite comparison expressions
       Composite comparison expressions consist of an alpm-package-name,
       directly followed by a comparison operator, directly followed by an
       alpm-package-version.

   Matching comparison expressions
       Name matching is performed based on a full string match using the alpm-
       package-name component of the composite comparison expression.

       Version comparison is performed based on components of a composite
       version string (see e.g. alpm-epoch, alpm-pkgver and alpm-pkgrel).  As
       alpm-package-version offers several forms, this allows for matching a
       variety of scenarios.

       When providing the full or full with epoch form of the alpm-package-
       version format, it matches exactly one specific release of a package
       version.  When providing the minimal or minimal with epoch form of the
       alpm-package-version format, it matches any release of a package
       version.

       Depending on comparison operator, the given match towards alpm-package-
       name and alpm-package-version is narrow (i.e. =), wide with lower bound
       (i.e. >, >=) or wide with upper bound (i.e. <, <=).

EXAMPLES
       The below composite comparison expressions can be matched by a package
       named example in specific versions:

       "example<1.0.0"

       A version less than `1.0.0' (e.g. `0.8.0-1').

       "example<=1.0.0"

       A version less than or equal to `1.0.0' (e.g. `0.8.0-1' or `1.0.0-3').

       "example<=1.0.0-1"

       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).

       "example=1.0.0"

       Any version `1.0.0' (e.g. `1.0.0-1' or `1.0.0-2', etc.).

       "example=1.0.0-1"

       The version `1.0.0-1'.

       "example=1:1.0.0-1"

       The version `1:1.0.0-1'.

       "example>=1.0.0"

       A version greater than or equal to `1.0.0' (e.g. `1.0.0-1' or
       `1.1.0-1').

       "example>1.0.0"

       A version greater than `1.0.0' (e.g. `1.1.0-1' or `1:1.0.0-1').

SEE ALSO
       BUILDINFO(5), PKGBUILD(5), PKGINFO(5), alpm-epoch(7), alpm-package-
       name(7), alpm-package-relation(7), alpm-package-version(7), alpm-
       pkgrel(7), alpm-pkgver(7), vercmp(8)

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