What are common pitfalls or gotchas with Semantic version pitfalls?

Semantic versioning is a widely used versioning scheme that communicates the nature of changes in software. However, there are common pitfalls and gotchas that developers encounter when implementing semantic versioning. Understanding these issues can help avoid unintended consequences and ensure that versioning is used effectively.

Common Pitfalls

  • Incorrectly Incrementing Versions: Many developers forget the rules for incrementing major, minor, and patch versions. A breaking change should always lead to a major version increment.
  • Assuming Compatibility: Developers might assume that all minor updates are backward-compatible. While they are meant to be, there can be unforeseen issues.
  • Lack of Clarity: Not clearly documenting the changes between versions can lead to confusion over what each version includes or excludes.
  • Inconsistent Versioning Across Teams: Different teams can have different interpretations of semantic versioning, leading to inconsistencies.

Example of Versioning Pitfalls

// Incorrectly incrementing version // Initial Version: 1.0.0 // A breaking change introduced, but the developer increments only the minor version. $currentVersion = "1.1.0"; // This should be "2.0.0" // A patch update made, but the developer decides to increment major version instead (incorrect). $currentVersion = "3.0.0"; // This should be "1.0.1"

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