npm versioning

https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/semantic-versioning

[major, minor, patch]

e.g.

fist release: 1.0.0
bug fix, minor change -> 1.0.1, 1.0.2
non-breaking new features -> 1.1.0
breaking changes -> 2.0.0

Semver for Consumers

update dependencies based on semantic versions

npm install:

npm will look at the dependencies that are listed in that file and download the latest versions, using semantic versioning. (https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/using-a-package.json#managing-dependency-versions)

yarn upgrade:

Upgrades packages to their latest version based on the specified range. (https://yarnpkg.com/lang/en/docs/cli/upgrade/)

prerelease tags and ranges

based on the following check:

const semver = require('semver')
> semver.gt('1.1.1-rc.1', '1.1.0')
true
> semver.gt('1.1.2-rc.1', '1.1.1-rc.1')
true
> semver.gt('1.1.2-rc.2', '1.1.2-rc.1')
true

I would assume that given a list of versions: ['1.1.0', '1.1.1-rc.3', '1.1.1-rc.2', '1.1.1-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.2'':

>1.0 would return 1.1.2-rc.2
>1.1.1-rc.2 would return 1.1.2-rc.2

the acutal result is:

 > semver.maxSatisfying(['1.1.0', '1.1.1-rc.3', '1.1.1-rc.2', '1.1.1-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.2'], '>1.0')
'1.1.0'
> semver.maxSatisfying(['1.1.0', '1.1.1-rc.3', '1.1.1-rc.2', '1.1.1-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.2'], '>1.1.1-rc.2')
'1.1.1-rc.3'

// add 1.2.0 to the version list
> semver.maxSatisfying(['1.1.0', '1.1.1-rc.3', '1.1.1-rc.2', '1.1.1-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.1', '1.1.2-rc.2', '1.2.0'], '>1.1.1-rc.2')
'1.2.0'

possiable to get the latest pre release based on a versin range? the answer is No.

https://docs.npmjs.com/misc/semver#prerelease-tags

If a version has a prerelease tag (for example, 1.2.3-alpha.3) then it will only be allowed to satisfy comparator sets if at least one comparator with the same [major, minor, patch] tuple also has a prerelease tag.

For example, the range >1.2.3-alpha.3 would be allowed to match the version 1.2.3-alpha.7, but it would not be satisfied by 3.4.5-alpha.9, even though 3.4.5-alpha.9 is technically “greater than” 1.2.3-alpha.3 according to the SemVer sort rules. The version range only accepts prerelease tags on the 1.2.3 version. The version 3.4.5 would satisfy the range, because it does not have a prerelease flag, and 3.4.5 is greater than 1.2.3-alpha.7.

The purpose for this behavior is twofold. First, prerelease versions frequently are updated very quickly, and contain many breaking changes that are (by the author’s design) not yet fit for public consumption. Therefore, by default, they are excluded from range matching semantics.

Second, a user who has opted into using a prerelease version has clearly indicated the intent to use that specific set of alpha/beta/rc versions. By including a prerelease tag in the range, the user is indicating that they are aware of the risk. However, it is still not appropriate to assume that they have opted into taking a similar risk on the next set of prerelease versions.

semver.js source code: https://github.com/npm/node-semver/blob/v5.5.0/semver.js#L1121

how to get the latest pre-release verions?

dist-tag: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/dist-tag

Publishing a package sets the latest tag to the published version unless the --tag option is used. For example, npm publish --tag=beta.

By default, npm install <pkg> (without any @<version> or @<tag> specifier) installs the latest tag.

so, to release a new pre-release version:

npm publish --tag next

to use the latest pre-release verion:

npm install <package>@next

to verify:

npm dist-tag ls -a <package>