Understanding Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 (SemVer) & NPM Dependency Ranges
Semantic Versioning is a formal specification for software release management conforming to the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-PRERELEASE+BUILD structure. Increments communicate functional intent across dependency trees:
- MAJOR: Incremented for incompatible, breaking API changes.
- MINOR: Incremented for backward-compatible feature additions.
- PATCH: Incremented for backward-compatible bug fixes.
NPM Comparator Rules & Special Caret Handling
In package.json manifests, the Caret (^) operator permits updates that do not modify the leftmost non-zero digit. For stable packages (^1.2.3), this expands to >=1.2.3 <2.0.0. However, for unstable development packages (^0.2.3), it contracts to >=0.2.3 <0.3.0 to prevent breaking changes during rapid iteration. SemVer Studio resolves these comparator sets deterministically in local browser RAM.
🔗 Developer Utilities
Minify JavaScript bundles with JS Minifier or convert variable naming cases via Case Converter Suite.
🛡️ Data Privacy
Scrub private registry URLs and internal package names before publishing manifests with RedactVault.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does build metadata affect version precedence?
No. Per SemVer 2.0.0 Spec item 10, build metadata (e.g. +build.123) is ignored when determining version precedence. 1.0.0+1 and 1.0.0+2 have identical precedence.
Can I calculate version bumps offline?
Yes. Because all parsing and comparator evaluations execute inside your browser's local JavaScript engine, this tool is fully offline capable.