What do version numbers mean?
Semantic Versioning (SemVer) is a versioning scheme for software that aims to convey meaning about the underlying changes in a release.
SemVer uses a three-part version number: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.
- MAJOR version: Incremented when there are incompatible API changes.
- MINOR version: Incremented when functionality is added in a backward-compatible manner.
- PATCH version: Incremented when backward-compatible bug fixes are made.
Example Workflow
- Initial Development Phase
Start with version 0.1.0
- First Stable Release
Reach a stable release: 1.0.0
- Subsequent Changes
Patch Release: A bug fix is needed for 1.0.0 Update to 1.0.1
Minor Release: A new, backward-compatible feature is added to 1.0.3 Update to 1.1.0
Major Release: A significant change that is not backward-compatible is introduced in 1.2.2 Update to 2.0.0
- Special Versions and Pre-releases
Pre-release Versions: 1.0.0-alpha, 1.0.0-beta, 1.0.0-rc.1
Build Metadata: 1.0.0+20130313144700
You can read from the official Semantic Version docs here: https://semver.org/
Conclusion
With SemVer we know about app versioning, so when you're developing an app, you know you're building a feature or fixing a bug. We can use semantic-release for automatic release applications.