Compatibility between plugin kit versions

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin MultiRIP but not Harlequin Core

From time-to-time Global Graphics will provide new plugin interface functionality. A question of compatibility then arises: if the plugin interface specification is changed to provide this new functionality, a new version of the RIP, capable of exploiting the power of the new interface, must be built.

Part of this problem is rather easily solved: a new plugin kit can be produced to permit you to write plugins that respond to these new requests, or modify your existing plugins to do so.

But what if you want to use existing plugins with a new version of the RIP, without updating them? And conversely, what if you want to use a new plugin with an older version of the RIP?

Fortunately, there is a provision for this in the design of the plugin interface.