How to version a software or a product?

Question

Hi, I just wanna know how do you version a product. Is it just guessing the numbers at random or there is this pattern you have to follow in versioning a product or software?

Thank You! :)

Answer 1

This is part of the configuration management process.  It depends, really, on the developer.  There IS a pattern, in that the numbers increase as changes are made.

The first number is usually referred to the "major release" number.  6.0, 7.0, etc.  The next number is usually referred to as a "minor release".  Same basic features, but perhaps with improvements.  (7.01, 7.02, etc.)  Most developers will then follow with a third set of numbers, indicating perhaps a collection of bug fixes (7.02.01, 7.02.02, etc.)  Some will go even further to keep track of internal versions--versions that were never released but cycle through their development and test process.  Since thos repeat before a product is release, you may see skips in those numbers before the final release of a product (7.02.01.045, 7.02.02.027, etc).

William

Answer 2

What are you talking about? you make sense at all, you can't version a product...i dont even know what to say, god that was a pointless question.

Answer 3

It's not really numbers at random, they just might not make sense to you but the make sense to the programmer or designer.  

Lets say you have a doll made out of cloth the first version of this doll will be 1a

Then if you make changes to the cloth doll you just keep going the down the alphabet

If you make a major change like you will start to make the doll out of plastic you probably want to change the version to 2a

Then any other changes you make to the plastic doll will always be 2b, 2c, 2e etc.  

That's a good rule of thumb to follow but some people will put dates in the version number or some other that has meaning to them that will most like help them recall was change or what was in the revision.  You can always change the number for letters, or use all numbers - that's really up to you.