Semantic Versioning Explained: Major, Minor and Patch Releases

The six points in the video

This is a silent video. The headings, explanations and labels below reproduce the information on screen.

1. 1

   Step 1: Read major, minor and patch

   0:18

   A normal SemVer release has three number components.

   On-screen labels: Major version; Minor version; Patch version.

2. 2

   Step 2: Major can break compatibility

   0:30

   It indicates a breaking change to the declared public API.

   On-screen labels: Public API; Incompatible change; Upgrade planning.

3. 3

   Step 3: Minor adds compatible features

   0:42

   It adds functionality while preserving API compatibility.

   On-screen labels: Added functionality; Compatible API; Release notes.

4. 4

   Step 4: Patch is for compatible fixes

   0:54

   It fixes incorrect behaviour without breaking the public API.

   On-screen labels: Bug fix; Compatible API; Patch release.

5. 5

   Step 5: Early versions need extra care

   1:06

   Under SemVer, a zero major version is initial development.

   On-screen labels: Version 0.x; Initial development; API may change.

6. 6

   Step 6: Check the project convention

   1:18

   Not every product follows SemVer; read its own release guidance.

   On-screen labels: Version policy; Release notes; Relevant project tests.

Common questions

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