Understanding GoldSim Releases, Service Packs and Hotfixes

GoldSim versions that you can download and install take four forms:

Version	Example	Comments
Major Release	10.10 (or 10.1)	Major releases add major new capabilities to GoldSim.  The second digit after the decimal point ends in a 0 (or is omitted).  Updated Manuals and Help files are updated.
Minor Release	10.11	Minor releases add significant but not major new capabilities to GoldSim.  Their version numbers end in 1 through 9.  Updated Manuals and Help files may be updated. If they are not, any changes will be described in an accompanying Summary Document.
Service Pack	10.11 SP2 (equivalent to 10.11.200)	Service Packs correct problems found in a Major or Minor release (or a previous Service Pack), and may contain minor new capabilities.  Manuals and Help files are not updated.
Hotfix	Build 10.11.101	Hotfixes are interim versions that correct problems found in a previous version, and typically consist of small patch-type installation files. Manuals and Help files are not updated, and the Hotfix version is tested but not formally verified. Hotfixes provide a mechanism for GTG to quickly address bugs or problems and distribute the new version to users.

 

Installation Files

For Major Releases, Minor Releases and Service Packs, the installation file provides a full installation of GoldSim (you do not need to have a previous version of GoldSim installed on your PC). For Hotfixes,  small patch-type installation files are used, which require you to have the most recent Major, Minor, or Service pack release of GoldSim already installed on your PC. Service Packs are sometimes provided both as a full installation file and as a patch-type file.

Compatibility

Files created using one GoldSim version can be read in by subsequent versions released within two years of the original version. However, files created using a later GoldSim version cannot be read in by earlier versions. Hotfixes are file-compatible with the version that they fix.

Verification

All versions other than Hotfixes are verified. During verification a large number of test problems are executed and the results compared to expected values. For Major releases, the full set of verification tests is always carried out. For Minor releases and Service Packs, a subset of the test suite may be applied to specifically test GoldSim features that were modified. Verification tests are extensive, but they do not guarantee that GoldSim is bug-free.

Determining the Version of GoldSim on Your PC

From the main menu, select Help | About GoldSim.  The version number is also displayed on the splash screen when you first open GoldSim.

Registering GoldSim Versions

If you have not previously registered GoldSim on your computer, you must register it before it can be used. If you already have a registered version of GoldSim on your computer, you do not need to re-register when installing new versions or updates. Additional details on the registration process can be found in Chapter 1 of the GoldSim User's Guide.
 

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