diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/lib/rubygems/cache.rb rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/cache.rb
--- rubygems/lib/rubygems/cache.rb	2004-03-19 04:27:24.000000000 +0100
+++ rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/cache.rb	2004-04-04 11:24:27.000000000 +0200
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
       result = []
       @gems.each do |full_spec_name, spec|
         next unless spec.name == gem_name
-        result << spec if version_requirement.satisfied_by?(spec.version)
+        result << spec if version_requirement.satisfied_by?(spec.api_version)
       end
       result = result.sort
       result
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/lib/rubygems/remote_installer.rb rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/remote_installer.rb
--- rubygems/lib/rubygems/remote_installer.rb	2004-04-02 14:48:29.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/remote_installer.rb	2004-04-04 11:34:42.000000000 +0200
@@ -16,15 +16,15 @@
     ##
     # This method will install package_name onto the local system.  
     # package_name:: [String] Name of the Gem to install
-    # version_requirement:: [default = "> 0.0.0"] Gem version requirement to install
-    def install(package_name, version_requirement = "> 0.0.0", force=false, directory=Gem.dir)
+    # api_version_requirement:: [default = "1"] API version requirement to install
+    def install(package_name, api_version_requirement = "1", force=false, directory=Gem.dir)
 
-      unless version_requirement.respond_to?(:version)
-        version_requirement = Version::Requirement.new(version_requirement)
+      unless api_version_requirement.respond_to?(:version)
+        api_version_requirement = Version::APIRequirement.new(api_version_requirement)
       end
       sources = get_cache_sources()
       caches = get_caches(sources)
-      spec, source = find_latest_valid_package_in_caches(package_name,version_requirement,caches)
+      spec, source = find_latest_valid_package_in_caches(package_name,api_version_requirement,caches)
       dependencies = find_dependencies_not_installed(spec.dependencies)
       install_dependencies(dependencies)
       cache_dir = File.join(Gem::dir, "cache")
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
         cache.each do |name, spec|
           if (/#{package_name}/i === name && 
                 spec.version > max_version &&
-                version_requirement.satisfied_by?(spec.version)) then
+                version_requirement.satisfied_by?(spec.api_version)) then
             package = [spec, source]
             max_version = spec.version
           end
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/lib/rubygems/specification.rb rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/specification.rb
--- rubygems/lib/rubygems/specification.rb	2004-04-03 16:50:37.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/specification.rb	2004-04-04 10:43:00.000000000 +0200
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
     ##
     # These attributes are required
     #
-    required_attribute :rubygems_version, :name, :platform, :date, :summary, :require_paths, :version
+    required_attribute :rubygems_version, :name, :platform, :date, :summary,
+      :require_paths, :version, :api_version
     
     ##
     # These attributes are optional
@@ -174,6 +175,20 @@
     end
     
     ##
+    # Sets the API version of the Specification
+    #
+    # version:: [String or Gem::Version] The version
+    # 
+    # Note that the API version must comply with the versioning policy.
+    #
+    def api_version=(version)
+      unless version.respond_to? :version
+        api_version = Version.new(version)
+      end
+      @api_version = api_version
+    end
+    
+    ##
     # Helper method if the require path is singular
     #
     # path:: [String] The require path.
@@ -197,7 +212,7 @@
     # gem:: [String or Gem::Dependency] The Gem name/dependency.
     # requirement:: [default="> 0.0.0"] The version requirement.
     #
-    def add_dependency(gem, requirement="> 0.0.0")
+    def add_dependency(gem, requirement="1")
       unless gem.respond_to?(:name) && gem.respond_to?(:version_requirement)
         gem = Dependency.new(gem, requirement)
       end
@@ -240,7 +255,7 @@
     #
     def satisfies_requirement?(dependency)
       return @name==dependency.name && 
-        dependency.version_requirement.satisfied_by?(@version)
+        dependency.version_requirement.satisfied_by?(@api_version)
     end
     
     ##
@@ -259,7 +274,7 @@
     #
     def to_yaml_properties
       mark_version
-      result = ['@rubygems_version', '@name', '@version', '@date', '@platform', '@summary', '@require_paths', '@files']
+      result = ['@rubygems_version', '@name', '@version', '@api_version', '@date', '@platform', '@summary', '@require_paths', '@files']
       result << '@autorequire' if @autorequire
       result << '@author' if @author
       result << '@email' if @email
@@ -283,6 +298,7 @@
       result =  "Gem::Specification.new do |s|\n"
       result << "s.name = %q{#{name}}\n"
       result << "s.version = %q{#{version}}\n"
+      result << "s.api_version = %q{#{api_version}}\n"
       result << "s.platform = %q{#{platform}}\n" if @platform
       result << "s.has_rdoc = #{has_rdoc?}\n" if has_rdoc?
       result << "s.test_suite_file = %q{#{test_suite_file}}\n" if has_test_suite?
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/lib/rubygems/version.rb rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/version.rb
--- rubygems/lib/rubygems/version.rb	2004-01-24 19:49:22.000000000 +0100
+++ rubygems.new/lib/rubygems/version.rb	2004-04-04 10:46:55.000000000 +0200
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     #
     def initialize(name, version_requirement)
       @name = name
-      @version_requirement = Version::Requirement.new(version_requirement)
+      @version_requirement = Version::APIRequirement.new(version_requirement)
     end
   end
   
@@ -169,5 +169,67 @@
                @version.scan(/\d+/).map {|s| s.to_i}
       end
     end
+
+    ##
+    # APIRequirement implements the API versioning semantics.
+    #
+    class APIRequirement < Version
+
+      NUM_RE = /(\d.\d)|(\d)/ # either 1 or 1.1 etc
+
+      ##
+      # Used to simplify conversion code, especially from strings
+      #
+      def to_requirement
+        self
+      end
+
+      ##
+      # Overrides to check for comparator
+      #
+      # str:: [String] the version requirement string
+      # return:: [Boolean] true if the string format is correct, otherwise false
+      #
+      def correct?(str)
+        /^#{NUM_RE}$/.match(str)
+      end
+
+      ##
+      # Constructs a version requirement instance
+      #
+      # str:: [String] the version requirement string (e.g. "> 1.23")
+      #
+      def initialize(str)
+        super
+        @nums = parse
+      end
+
+      ##
+      # Determines if the API version requirement is satisfied by the supplied version
+      #
+      # vn:: [Gem::Version] the version to compare against
+      # return:: [Boolean] true if this requirement is satisfied by the version, otherwise false
+      #
+      def satisfied_by?(vn)
+        other = vn.to_ints
+        case @nums.size
+        when 1
+          other[0] == @nums[0]
+        when 2
+          other[0] == @nums[0] && other[1] >= @nums[1]
+        end
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      ##
+      # parses the version requirement string, returning the
+      # comparator and the number
+      #
+      def parse
+        return @version.scan(/\d+/).map {|s| s.to_i}
+      end
+    end
   end
+
 end
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/lib/rubygems.rb rubygems.new/lib/rubygems.rb
--- rubygems/lib/rubygems.rb	2004-03-29 04:30:55.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/lib/rubygems.rb	2004-04-04 10:49:20.000000000 +0200
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   # return:: [Boolean] true if the Gem is loaded, otherwise false.
   # raises:: [LoadError] if Gem cannot be found or version requirement not met.
   #
-  def require_gem(gem, version_requirement="> 0.0.0")
+  def require_gem(gem, version_requirement="1")
     unless gem.respond_to?(:name) && gem.respond_to?(:version_requirement)
       gem = Gem::Dependency.new(gem, version_requirement)
     end
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/packages/sources/sources.gemspec rubygems.new/packages/sources/sources.gemspec
--- rubygems/packages/sources/sources.gemspec	2003-11-22 19:58:46.000000000 +0100
+++ rubygems.new/packages/sources/sources.gemspec	2004-04-04 10:51:22.000000000 +0200
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     spec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
       s.name = 'sources'
       s.version = "0.0.1"
+      s.api_version = "1.0.0"
       s.platform = Gem::Platform::RUBY
       s.summary = "This package provides download sources for remote gem installation"
       s.files = Dir.glob("lib/**/*").delete_if {|item| item.include?("CVS")}
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/test/test_cache.rb rubygems.new/test/test_cache.rb
--- rubygems/test/test_cache.rb	2004-03-29 01:50:15.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/test/test_cache.rb	2004-04-04 11:17:05.000000000 +0200
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     @sample_spec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
       s.name = 'foo'
       s.version = "1.2.3"
+      s.api_version = "1.2.0"
       s.platform = Gem::Platform::RUBY
       s.summary = "This is a cool package"
       s.files = [] 
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@
     @second_sample_spec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
       s.name = 'anothergem'
       s.version = "0.0.1"
+      s.api_version = "1.0.0"
       s.platform = Gem::Platform::RUBY
       s.summary = "This is a cool package"
       s.files = [] 
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/test/test_remote_installer.rb rubygems.new/test/test_remote_installer.rb
--- rubygems/test/test_remote_installer.rb	2004-03-29 01:50:15.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/test/test_remote_installer.rb	2004-04-04 11:16:24.000000000 +0200
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
   SAMPLE_SPEC = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
     s.name = 'foo'
     s.version = "1.2.3"
+    s.api_version = "1.0.0"
     s.platform = Gem::Platform::RUBY
     s.summary = "This is a cool package"
     s.files = []
diff -x CVS -ru rubygems/test/test_specification.rb rubygems.new/test/test_specification.rb
--- rubygems/test/test_specification.rb	2004-04-03 15:48:56.000000000 +0200
+++ rubygems.new/test/test_specification.rb	2004-04-04 10:52:07.000000000 +0200
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   def setup
     @gem_spec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
       s.version = "1.0.0"
+      s.api_version = "1.0.0"
       s.name = "boo"
       s.platform = Gem::Platform::RUBY
       s.date = Time.now