Genetec maintains backward compatibility for Security Center. Method and property signatures are kept the same with the release of a new version, but new methods, properties, and classes are released with new versions of the software.
In the SDK documentation we provide, there is a section about backward compatibility that explains the possible steps the integrator can follow to guarantee their integration works.
Exceptions to the rule
If a modification has to be done to the SDK for Security reasons, Genetec might introduce breaking changes to the SDK.
Any breaking changes are documented in the "Security Center SDK Release Notes" documents.
In case a property or method must become obsoleted, Genetec keeps the old functionality for the subsequent two versions.
For example, if something has been deprecated during the development of 5.5, Genetec ensures that this functionality continues working for at least versions 5.6 and 5.7. Still, it might be removed or not properly maintained as of version 5.8.
We recommend that you regularly consult the "Security Center SDK Release Notes" where we document obsoleted members. We also recommend that you modify the code as soon as possible if anything deprecated is used.
An integration made with the 5.5 SDK should be able to connect to up to two newer Security Center versions but not the other way around. An integration made with 5.7 SDK cannot connect to Security Center version 5.6 or older.
It is best practice to follow the guidelines stated in the Compiled HTML Help file. See the Using backward compatibility section. Test in the environments you intend to work with before deploying, and contact us if you have any problems.