Semantic versioning

Semantic versioning are providing strict guidelines regarding version numbers.

Given a version number MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, increment the:

  • MAJOR version when you make incompatible API changes.
  • MINOR version when you add/change functionality which is backward compatible.
  • PATCH version when you make backward compatible bug fixes.

The numbers that are used for MAJOR, MINOR, and PATCH are non negative integers, and don’t contain leading zeroes. A MAJOR version 0 is for initial development and anything may change at any time. Version 1.0.0 defines the first public stable version.

A pre-release version may be denoted by appending a hyphen and a series of dot separated identifiers immediately following the PATCH number. The pre-release version identifier must comprise only ASCII alphanumerics ([0-9A-Za-z]). A pre-release version indicates that the version is unstable and might not satisfy the intended compatibility requirements as denoted by its associated normal version. An example of a pre-release version is 1.0.0-alpha.

Build metadata may be denoted by appending a plus sign and a series of dot separated identifiers immediately following the PATCH or pre-release version number. The build metadata must comprise only ASCII alphanumerics ([0-9A-Za-z]). An example of a version number with build metadata is 1.0.0+201506221617

Once a versioned package is released, the content of that package MUST NOT be modified. Any modifications MUST be released as a new version.

See also