Demystifying Semantic Versioning

Omkar Bhavare — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 17:33:39 +0000

In this section, we’ll cover the basics of Semantic Versioning — what it is, the various types of versions, and an in-depth exploration of version upgrades. We’ll also discuss how these versioning practices can impact our code. Let’s dive right in! 💻✨

🤔 What is Semantic Versioning ?
Sematic Versioning is a way to specify and convey the changes made in the software / packages based on it’s version number.

🖋️ Version Number Structure

example: if version number of any dependency is 2.6.3
Here ,

Major version number is 2
Minor version number is 6
Patch version number is 3
MAJOR Version:
Indicates significant updates that may break existing functionality or APIs.
Increments for backward incompatible changes.

Backward Incompatibility : It refers that the new updated version is not fully compatible with the older version as there might be some structural changes in code or removal of the some feature

// Version 1.0.0 function calculateSum(a, b) { return a + b; } function calculateProduct(a, b) { return a * b; } // Version 2.0.0 function calculateSum(a, b) { return a + b; } // calculateProduct function is removed in this version

MINOR Version: Indicates the introduction of new functionality without breaking existing features.

Increments for backward-compatible additions of features.

example: ejs : 3.2.9 ejs: 3.4.9
Backward-Compatibility : It refers to ability of a newer version of software to work seamlessly with system or code that was designed for older version.

`// Version 1.0.0
function calculateSum(a, b) {
return a + b;
}
In Version 1.1.0, a backward-compatible change is made by adding a new function, calculateAverage , without modifying or removing any existing functionality.

// Version 1.1.0
function calculateSum(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

// New backward-compatible feature added
function calculateAverage(a, b) {
return (a + b) / 2;
}`
3.PATCH Version:
Indicates the correction of issues without introducing new features mostly done for Security and Bugs fixes

example: ejs : 3.3.1 ejs: 3.3.2

Beta Version: A pre-release version for testing, signaling that it’s not yet a final, stable release. [beta is often used to indicate a version that is still in testing or development.]

{ "dependencies": { "library": "2.0.0-beta.1" } }
Beta versions invite users to test upcoming features and report issues before the stable release, allowing developers to gather feedback and ensure software readiness for widespread use.

Metadata: Metadata provides additional information about the build or release but does not affect the previous version feature or compatibility.

{ "dependencies": { "library": "1.2.3+build456" } }
😀 Let’s see what is Version Upgrade:

Caret ( ^ ) : Allows only MINOR & PATCH version upgradation automatically.
example:
{ "dependencies": { "ejs": "^3.3.1" } } ejs: 3.3.2 // allowed Patch Version fix ejs: 3.4.2 // allowed Minor Version fix ejs: 4.1.0 // not allowed Major Version fix

Tilde ( ~ ) : Allows only PATCH version upgradation automatically.

example:
{ "dependencies": { "ejs": "~3.3.1" } }

ejs: 3.3.2 // allowed Patch Version fix
ejs: 3.4.2 // not allowed Minor Version fix
ejs: 4.1.0 // not allowed Major Version fix

Equal ( = ) :The = (Equal ) sign in version dependency declarations is used to specify that you want to install the exact version of a package.

{ "dependencies": { "ejs": "=3.3.1" } }
📚 Earlier Post:

What is NPM ? click below to know more 👇
https://medium.com/@omkarbhavare2406/what-is-npm-40dc291537d4

🔍 Coming up next:
Dependency vs DevDependency
Local & Global Package Installation:

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of JavaScript development! 🚀📦

What is npm?

Omkar Bhavare — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 13:10:50 +0000

🔍 What is npm? 📦

npm is an open-source repository of tools & libraries created by the developers. It serves as a central-hub for JavaScript Community, offering a vast collection of resusable code packages to enhance and accelerate their projects.

🤝 Benefits of npm

Easy Package Management: npm simplifies the process of managing external libraries and tools, making it easy to add, update, and remove dependencies in your project.
Code Reusability: Access to a vast repository of packages enables developers to reuse existing, well-tested code, saving time and effort in building common functionalities.
Version Control: npm helps ensure version consistency by allowing developers to specify the exact versions or version ranges of dependencies, reducing compatibility issues.
Community Collaboration: npm fosters community collaboration by allowing developers to share their code, contributing to a collaborative ecosystem of shared knowledge and resources.

🛠️ How NPM Works: A Step-by-Step Guide 🚀

1.Project Initialization: Developers kickstart a new project by running npm init in the project directory. This command generates a package.json file that acts as a manifest for the project, containing metadata and dependency information.

npm init

2.Developers specify these dependencies in the package.json file and install them using the npm install command.

npm install lodash

3.NPM automatically creates a node_modules directory where it stores the installed packages. These dependencies are recorded in the package.json file under the dependencies section.

"dependencies": {
  "lodash": "^4.17.21"
}

4.NPM uses semantic versioning to define package versions. Developers can specify version ranges in the package.json file to allow for flexibility in updating packages.

"dependencies": {
  "lodash": "^4.17.21"
}

5.The package-lock.json file provides specific version information for each package that is currently being used in a project.

{
  "name": "my-blog",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "lockfileVersion": 2,
  "dependencies": {
    "lodash": {
      "version": "4.17.21",
      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.21.tgz",
      "integrity": "sha512-...
      "dev": true
    }
  }
}

Coming up next: 🔍

Semantic Versioning:
Dependency vs DevDependency:
Local & Global Package Installation:

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of JavaScript development! 🚀📦

DEV Community: Omkar Bhavare

Demystifying Semantic Versioning

What is npm?