#What's a "patch"?
2 messages in this thread
This is probably a stupid question, but here goes……..
I recently downloaded catalogs via AP and noticed that there were some
items listed as "a patch to update . . ." What exactly is that? If I own
a program is this this something that will update it to its current
version? So I need something special to do this? Like something to
"plug" the patch into?
I told you it was probably a stupid question!
A "patch" is a relatively small piece of code that inserts corrections into a
much larger program. Sometimes this saves the original author from needing to
do a massive recompilation; it's popular during a program's testing phases.
Today, patches are used more to preserve copyright. Thus: you can get the
patch free (or at low cost), perhaps from sources other than the original
software house. If you have the original program, the patch program will
correct or upgrade it.
Typical example: if you bought SAS/C compiler 6.5, you can download a patch
program (written by SAS) which will convert your copiler to 6.51. The way this
one works: You do NOT change your original 6.5 disks; instead the patch
program loads-and-modifies the package to your hard disk.
If a patch program wants to modify the ORIGINAL disk(s): 1. Make a backup
of the originals; 2. Check as to who supplied the patch, and its purpose; 3.
Read the patch documentation FIRST.
The operation is usually: click on a Workbench icon, or give CLI/Shell
command; then insert disks and supply HD drawer names as appropriate. It's
usually quite simple.
–Jim