Semantic Versioning - SemVer

Semantic Versioning (often abbreviated as SemVer) is a versioning scheme designed to clearly and understandably communicate changes in software. It uses a three-part numbering system in the format MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH to indicate different types of changes. Here’s an explanation of how these numbers are used:

1. MAJOR: Incremented when making incompatible changes that might break existing software dependent on the previous version.
2. MINOR: Incremented when adding new, backward-compatible features. These changes add new functionality but do not affect existing functionality.
3. PATCH: Incremented when making backward-compatible bug fixes. These changes fix bugs and issues without adding new features or changing existing ones.

An example of a SemVer version might look like this: 1.4.2. This means:

• 1 (MAJOR): First major version, potentially with significant changes since the previous version.
• 4 (MINOR): Fourth version of this major version, with new features but backward-compatible.
• 2 (PATCH): Second bug fix version of this minor version.

Additional Conventions:

• Pre-release Versions: For example, 1.0.0-alpha, 1.0.0-beta, 1.0.0-rc.1 (Release Candidate).
• Build Metadata: For example, 1.0.0+20130313144700, indicated after a + sign.

Why is SemVer important?

• Clarity and Predictability: Developers and users can immediately understand what type of changes have been made based on the version number.
• Compatibility: Libraries and dependencies can be managed more safely, as developers know which versions are compatible with each other.
• Automation: Build and deployment tools can automatically manage versions and decide when and how updates should be applied.

SemVer significantly simplifies the management of software versions by providing a consistent and understandable scheme for version numbers.