[Python-ideas] module version number support for semver.org

[Andrew Barnert]

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On Apr 14, 2014, at 21:41, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

> As I said in response to this same post on python-list, one problem with mechanical semantic interpretation of version numbers, the supposed justification for the system, is that such interpretation does not work as soon as one accidentally makes a release that violates the semantic rules.

To be fair, semver tries to deal with that. It's arguable whether it does so sufficiently, but at least it doesn't ignore the problem.

Also, having a semantic interpretation that's almost always mechanically interpretable but occasionally not isn't completely useless. If my project relies on 2.3.4+ but not 3.x of your project, and your 2.3.7 breaks backward compatibility, that's a bug in your project. As long as you publicize the bug and any appropriate workarounds and fix it (e.g., by releasing a 2.3.8), it's the same as any other bug (like your 2.3.7 failing to install, or crashing any time anyone calls the spam function). If, say, RedHat or Apple released a distribution with your 2.3.7, it would be just as bad if the version number was broken as if the code was broken, not worse.