What are the best practices for Semantic Versioning?

What are the best practices for Semantic Versioning?

Semantic Versioning, or SemVer, is a versioning scheme that helps manage dependencies and version control. The best practices include: 1. Use a three-part version number: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. 2. Increment the MAJOR version for incompatible API changes. 3. Increment the MINOR version for adding functionality in a backward-compatible manner. 4. Increment the PATCH version for backward-compatible bug fixes. 5. Pre-release versions and build metadata can be added for more granularity.

Can you explain what a pre-release version is?

A pre-release version is a version that is not yet stable and is indicated by appending a hyphen and a series of dot-separated identifiers to the version number. For example, 1.0.0-alpha or 1.0.0-beta. This allows developers to test features before they are officially released.

How do I handle breaking changes?

When introducing breaking changes, you should increment the MAJOR version number. It's also a good practice to document the changes clearly and provide migration guides to help users transition smoothly.

What tools can help with Semantic Versioning?

There are several tools that can assist with Semantic Versioning, such as npm version for Node.js projects, semantic-release for automating versioning and package publishing, and versioneer for Python projects. These tools help manage version numbers and automate the release process.