Gekko versions overview

You may use the stable release Gekko 3.2, alternatively do not hesitate to use a “stable development” Gekko 3.3.x version, if you need new features from this development series. No breaking changes are planned regarding the Gekko 3.3.x development series, so Gekko 3.3.x is kept backwards compatible with Gekko 3.2, and in general the Gekko 3.3.x versions ought to be very stable. This means that programs written for Gekko 3.2 should run without problems on Gekko 3.3.x (and indeed: Gekko 3.0 or 3.1.x programs should run on Gekko 3.2 or 3.3.x, too).

If you are deciding whether to use 32- or 64-bit Gekko, see this page. Using Gekko 64-bit is advised, and in the Gekko 3.3.x development series, only 64-bit versions are offered. Windows 64-bit is normal nowadays, and 32-bit programs are considered legacy. The Gekko 32-bit versions are limited to use 3 GB RAM as a firm limit, whereas the 64-bit versions can use much more (disk-swapping works quite well, so even with only 8 GB physical RAM, 20-30 GB memory can often be used without problems).

In general, no major syntax changes are planned for Gekko 3.3.x, so rest assured that the 3.3.x syntax is stable and backwards compatible. If you are migrating from Gekko 2.x, there are syntax differences between 2.x and 3.x. You may consult the cheat sheet (also valid for Gekko 3.2/3.3.x).

Details

Versions with an even even number after the first period are so-called stable versions (for instance 3.2 or 3.0), whereas development versions have en uneven number after the first period (for instance, 3.3.1).

Care is taken regarding the 3.3.x versions in order to keep these stable and fully backwards compatible with Gekko 3.2. Therefore, in the 3.3.x series, it is avoided to change core parts of the Gekko source code, but new components may be implemented, and other improvements will be introduced as well. All in all, the 3.3.x versions may get some health checkups, but no heavy surgery.

The databank format in the 3.3.x versions is expected to stay compatible with the 3.2 and 3.0 versions, more details on this page. More info about future versions: see also the roadmap, and the material from the steering committe meetings.