Version Number
This article should help to find a correct version number for a software product. A custom track is a software product and should follow the rules, so that all people know what the author mean. The goal is to avoid the RC mixture used by the ct authors.
If an end user gets for example a release candidate (RC), he thing he gets a nearly 100% working track and he doesn't expect a buggy alpha with known freezes.
Basic Versioning
If software (and also tracks) is developed it goes to several stages and many builds (compiled/generated versions). Sometimes the author want to publish some of these builds and to find a good version naming.
The stages are not clearly defined and the following is only a suggestion.
A preview is e very early stage of the software and not usable.
An alpha version is principal complete with known major bugs.
A beta version is nearly ready with known minor bugs.
A release candidate has no known bugs and is published for final tests.
A release is bug free — or should be bug free.
Preview
A preview (pre release) 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 version has (nearly) all thinks implemented, but is known to have major bugs and much closer to a product than a preview.
- Examples for naming
- alpha
- a4
- v3.alpha-5
Beta
A beta version is nearly ready, has some known minor bugs and works generally as expected. The author(s) give 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 the release. The author means, it is ready and bug free (if not, he must declare the known bugs) and give it away for final tests.
RC1 means first release candidate and RC2 second release candidate. Numbers like RC0.9 and RC1.4 are nonsense.
- Examples for naming
- RC1
- rc-2
- v3.rc2
Release
If the release candidate is stable and well tested, you rename it to "v*". "*" may be nearly anything.
- Examples for naming
- v1
- v1.2
- v1a
- v1.12b
- v00001.02.0003
You can also combine version numbers with preview, alpha, beta or release candidate. You need the if you plan e.g. e beta for version 2. Separate the suffix from the main version number by a dot.
- Examples for naming
- v3.pre-1
- v12.alpha
- v2.b3 (b for beta)
- v5.RC3
Alternative Versioning
Proof Of Concept
A Proof Of Concept (short 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