Description: Semantic versioning is a version control scheme that provides clear meaning about the changes made in software through a structured numbering system. This system is based on three numbers separated by dots, representing the major, minor, and patch version, respectively. The major version is incremented when incompatible changes are made to the API, the minor version is incremented when new functionalities are added in a compatible manner, and the patch version is incremented when backward-compatible bug fixes are made. This approach not only facilitates version management but also helps developers and users quickly understand the nature of changes and their potential impact on the software. By following this scheme, clarity and effective communication among development teams are promoted, which is essential in practices such as code review and refactoring. Additionally, semantic versioning encourages the creation of clean code, as it forces developers to carefully consider the implications of their changes before releasing them, ensuring that the software evolves in a controlled and predictable manner.
History: The concept of semantic versioning was formalized by Tom Preston-Werner in 2013, although the practice of versioning software existed before. The idea arose from the need to establish a standard that would allow developers and users to quickly understand the impact of changes in software. Since its introduction, semantic versioning has gained popularity and become a common practice in the software development community, being adopted by numerous open-source projects and companies.
Uses: Semantic versioning is primarily used in software development to manage versions of libraries and applications. It allows developers to effectively communicate the changes made and their impact on compatibility. It is also used in project documentation, facilitating the understanding of updates and changes by end users. Additionally, it is common in dependency management, where build tools can use semantic numbering to resolve compatible versions.
Examples: A practical example of semantic versioning is the JavaScript library ‘React’, which uses this scheme for its versions. For instance, version 16.8.0 indicates that compatible changes have been made to the API, while version 17.0.0 signals that incompatible changes have been introduced. Another case is the package manager ‘npm’, which also adopts semantic versioning to manage the versions of the packages that are installed.
