Remove the requirement for component configuration files to specify dedicated version numbers

[ReinhardKeil]

The Problem To Be Solved

In practice the version numbers for config files are not getting updated or are out of synch. As the CMSIS-Toolbox stores the @base file, there should be no need for explicit version numbering. Instead the @base file could be compared with the config file that is stored in the pack to identify a modification.

Similar problems exist also for components. I believe the pack version should be sufficient to identify a component.

Next steps:

• What could be plausible workflows?
• Can the requirement for versions be relaxed?

[jkrech]

An update/change of a component default configuration file can be checked without requiring a version. If the default in the RTE folder and the pack version directory do not match, the file from the pack can be copied as update file. Without a semantic version there is no information about the significance of the update (patch, minor, major update).

If a component version is derived from the pack version and updated pack version implies an updated component even for a component that is unchanged.

Note: packchk requires update to avoid warnings

[brondani]

In practice the version numbers for config files are not getting updated or are out of synch.

I see two different issues behind this sentence:

1. a config file without explicit version, therefore inheriting pack versions and being marked as out-of-date when using new pack releases even if the file itself is identical.
   Recognizing the value of semantic version at all levels, I would advise to keep supporting it and I would propose a rebase mechanism: during PLM in addition to the version check also the contents of @base and pack files could be compared, when they are identical the @base version could be automatically updated ("rebased"), avoiding the @update file's creation.

2. a config file with explicit version is modified for a new pack release but its version is not updated by the pack maintainer.
   This is under pack development/maintenance so I would suggest to implement safe guards in packchk and/or in the pack uploading workflow.

[iomint]

A config file without explicit version inherits of its component version first and from its pack version in case the component does not have an explicit version (but the regular case should be a component version).

[brondani]

#2194 (comment)

• item 1 implemented in [devtools] Handle automatic rebase of config files (#1444) #2398
• item 2 captured in [packchk] Feature request: check whether updating config files and component versions is requested/recommended #2399