FR: version numbers

[lesv]

Currently our versions are a bit weird.

0.8.0 designates an alpha version
0.8.0-beta designates a beta, and presumably
1.0.0 will be our first GA

That's well and good for now though a bit confusing. I'd like to suggest that code that from now on, code that is not beta, be designated -alpha and not 0.8.0.

The real problem is when we go GA however. We will have a -SNAPSHOT which is top of tree Master; we will likely have a Pre-Release (or early release), a Current, and a last release.

Unfortunately, maven doesn't really understand -alpha or -beta designations in a clear way. It considers them to be a "qualifier" and sorts them alphabetically. So while it might allow updating from -alpha to -beta, it is unlikely to update to a GA version.

For those of us who use automation (like the versions plugin) this is a bit of a problem.

The auth library chose to go with all release update the major version (first # before the dot).

I wish I had a clear suggestion to go with your desire to be clear that this is a beta release. I don't. But I wish you had gone with a the java standard rather that following the path of some of our other teams and making something up that isn't idiomatic.

@omaray @garrettjonesgoogle @tswast

[garrettjonesgoogle]

Everything GA and after will follow the path you are describing. We are not going to put "-beta" on 1.x+ releases. For pre-1.x, the plan is to currently not have any package where both 0.x.y and 0.x.y-beta exist.

[garrettjonesgoogle]

Plan of record:

Already-existing packages:

• alpha: 0.y.z-alpha-SNAPSHOT and 0.y.z-alpha
• beta: 0.y.z-beta-SNAPSHOT and 0.y.z-beta
• GA: x.y.z-SNAPSHOT and x.y.z

New packages:

• alpha: 0.0.z-SNAPSHOT and 0.0.z
• beta: 0.y.z-SNAPSHOT and 0.y.z
• GA: x.y.z-SNAPSHOT and x.y.z

[garrettjonesgoogle]

Closing out this issue because we have put this plan into action already.