What is semantic versioning ?

Semantic versioning is a system of assigning version numbers to software releases that convey information about the nature of changes in each release. The format of a semantic version number is MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, where:

MAJOR: 

signifies major updates that are likely to break backward compatibility with previous versions.

MINOR: 

signifies new features or functionality that are backward compatible with previous versions.

PATCH: 

signifies bug fixes or other changes that do not add new features and are backward compatible with previous versions.

Here are some examples of semantic version numbers:

• 1.0.0:   This is the initial release of a software product, indicating that it is at version 1.0.0. According to semantic versioning, this version number signifies that the software is stable and has a public API that developers can rely on. Any changes to the API that would break backward compatibility would require a bump in the major version number.

• 2.1.3:   This version number signifies a software release that includes new features or functionality (the 2) that are backward compatible with the previous release, as well as bug fixes (the 1 in the minor version number and the 3 in the patch version number). This release should not break any existing code that relies on the previous version.

• 3.0.0:   This version number signifies a major update to the software that is likely to break backward compatibility with previous versions. This might be because of changes to the API, changes to the behavior of the software, or other significant changes. Developers who are using the previous version of the software should carefully review the changes in this release before upgrading, as their code may need to be updated to work with the new version.

Semantic versioning is a useful convention for software developers because it provides a clear and predictable way to communicate changes between releases, allowing developers to make informed decisions about whether and how to upgrade their dependencies.