versionagnostic

Version-agnostic describes a design goal where a software component, library, or interface operates correctly across multiple versions of a dependency, protocol, or data format without requiring changes to client code when the version changes.

Achieving this typically involves design choices such as defining stable, version-tolerant interfaces; using abstraction layers or adapter patterns; implementing capability negotiations or feature detection; and applying tolerant parsing with sensible defaults.

Common examples include libraries that support multiple runtime or API versions, APIs that expose a single endpoint that can negotiate version or automatically adapt, and plugins or integrations that declare compatibility with a range of host versions.

Benefits include easier maintenance, longer component lifespans, smoother upgrades, and broader interoperability for users who operate in mixed-version environments.

Challenges include added complexity to maintain compatibility across versions, potential performance overhead, and the risk of obscuring version-specific bugs. Effective governance, documentation, and testing, such as contract testing and deprecation policies, are often required.

Related concepts include backward compatibility, forward compatibility, semantic versioning, API versioning, compatibility shims, and feature flags.