freeze
To lock an evolving software distribution or document against changes so it can
be released with some hope of stability. Carries the strong implication that the
item in question will "unfreeze" at some future date.
There are more specific constructions on this term. A "feature freeze", for
example, locks out modifications intended to introduce new features but still
allows bugfixes and completion of existing features; a "code freeze" connotes no
more changes at all. At Sun Microsystems and elsewhere, one may also hear
references to "code slush" - that is, an almost-but-not-quite frozen state.
[Jargon File]
Nearby terms:
Free Software Foundation « free variable « freeware
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freeze » Frege, Gottlob » frequency division
multiple access » frequency division multiplexing
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