Version Number

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Introduction

about Related article: Software versioning

This article should help custom track creators find a correct version number for their files. Files listed on the Wiiki are treated as software and should have proper software versioning. The purpose of software versioning is to help the creators stay organized.

Basic Versioning

Software development goes through several stages and many builds (compiled/generated versions). Sometimes the author wants to publish some of these builds, so the author should find a good version name.

The stages are not clearly defined and the following are only suggestions:

  • Preview is a very early stage of the software and not usable.
  • Alpha version is principally complete with known major bugs.
  • Beta version is nearly ready with known minor bugs.
  • Release Candidate (RC) has no known bugs.
  • Release should be bug free.

Preview

A Preview is a very early and incomplete copy of the software. It should give some impressions.

Examples for naming
  • pre-3
  • preview4
  • v3.pre5

Alpha

An Alpha has (nearly) all things implemented and is much closer to a product than a Preview, but it has some known major bugs or some missing parts of the software.

Examples for naming
  • alpha
  • a4
  • v3.alpha-5

Beta

A Beta is nearly ready, has some known minor bugs, and works generally as expected. The author gives it away for tests to find more bugs.

Examples for naming
  • beta
  • b4
  • v3.beta-5

Release Candidate

A Release Candidate (RC) is a candidate for release. The author means that it is bug-free (if not, the author must declare the known minor bugs) and gives it away for final tests. Release candidates may stay as release candidates for extended periods of development during which bugs are repeatedly found and fixed.

Examples for naming
  • RC1
  • rc-2
  • v3.rc2

Release

If the release candidate is stable and well-tested, the next version following it may become a Release and it is renamed to v* where * may be nearly anything.

Examples for naming
  • v1
  • v1.2
  • v1a
  • v1.12b
  • v00001.02.0003

The preceding v is often omitted for final releases, where the author has no initial intention of updating the software.

More Specific Version Numbers

Version numbers can be combined with preview, alpha, beta or release candidate (for example, a beta for version 2). Separate the suffix from the main version number by a period.

Examples for naming
  • v3.pre-1
  • v12.alpha
  • v2.b3 (b for beta)
  • v5.RC3

Proof of concept

A Proof of concept (PoC) is a software version to test a concept of anything, like the »Train for Kalimari PoC«. The goal of a PoC track is not to have a running track, but to find out if a technical detail will work.

Examples for naming
  • PoC-1
  • poc2