Zova v0.23.0

Zova 0.23.0 expands optional storage placement to graphs, strengthens extension compatibility checks, and advances the on-disk format from 6 to 7.

Compatibility boundary

Format-7 databases require Zova 0.23.0 or newer. Zova 0.22.x and earlier reject them. Make and verify a backup before upgrading important files.

Optional bound graph stores

Graph topology can now live in one external .zova store beside the main records database, parallel to existing object and vector stores.

zova graph-store create graphs.zova
zova graph-store bind main.zova graphs.zova
zova graph-store info main.zova

Existing graph reads and writes route transparently after open. To move graphs already stored in the main file:

zova backup main.zova before-split.zova
zova split --graphs main.zova graphs.zova

The destination must be new. Store identity, bound-set markers, and graph epochs make missing, substituted, or inconsistent files diagnosable during open, doctor, and check --deep.

Backup, compact, and restore inline readable bound graph data into a self-contained destination, matching the behavior of object and vector stores.

File format 7

The optional graph-store metadata and consistency model require file format 7. Upgrade application bindings, CLI artifacts, headers, and native libraries together.

Rollback means restoring the pre-upgrade format-6 backup with the older application. It does not mean opening a format-7 file with Zova 0.22.

Extension ABI enforcement

Bundle manifests declare zova_abi_min. The host now parses the requirement as canonical major.minor.patch and rejects malformed values, a different ABI major, or a minimum newer than the running host before native code loads.

This closes a safety gap where an incompatible requirement could reach the in-process loader. Extension ABI remains pre-1.0, so authors should still rebuild and test for every Zova minor release.

The release retains trusted local .zovaext bundles, the experimental scaffold/build/pack workflow, app-defined C ABI scalar SQL functions, and extension-aware diagnostics and salvage.

Storage and query surface

v0.23.0 also includes graph batch APIs and preserves:

• content-addressed objects and streaming writers;
• exact vectors with f32, raw f16, and raw i8 storage;
• SQL-native vector distance and ranked search;
• graph neighbors and bounded SQL-native walks;
• same-process app events;
• optional bound object and vector stores; and
• backup, compact, restore, diagnostics, and salvage.

Before upgrading

1. Create and restore-test a backup with the old release.
2. Upgrade all application and native artifacts to 0.23.0 together.
3. Open a disposable copy and run zova check --deep.
4. Rebuild and smoke-test native extensions.
5. Keep the old application and backup until production behavior is verified.

Downloads and artifact checksums are available from the GitHub v0.23.0 release.