Javascript Package - Version

About

version in a Javascript package can be found in the package.json file as property.

Syntax

• See also https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/semantic-versioning - semver

Tag

Tags are a supplement to semver (e.g., v0.12) for organizing and labeling different versions of packages. In addition to being more human-readable, tags allow publishers to distribute their packages more effectively.

Version range Specification

¹⁾

This specification permits to upgrade the package by the package manager.

For example, to specify acceptable version ranges up to 1.0.4, use the following syntax:

• Patch releases: 1.0 or 1.0.x or ~1.0.4
• Minor releases: 1 or 1.x or ^1.0.4
• Major releases: * or x

Caret - increment the first non-zero portion of semver

To include everything that does not increment the first non-zero portion of semver, use the caret (aka hat) symbol, ^

Example:

• ^2.2.1
• ^0.1.0
• ^0.0.3

Tilde - particular version in the same minor range

To include everything greater than a particular version in the same minor range, use the tilde symbol, ~

example:

• ~2.2.0

Range

Range of stable versions

specify a range of stable versions use:

• >, <, =, >= or ⇐ for comparisons,
• or - to specify an inclusive range

examples:

• >2.1
• 1.0.0 - 1.2.0 - there must be spaces on either side of hyphens

Range of pre-release versions

specify a range of pre-release versions

use comparisons like > with a pre-release tag examples:

• >1.0.0-alpha
• >=1.0.0-rc.0 <1.0.1

OR: Multiple sets of versions

include multiple sets of versions use || to combine examples: ^2 <2.2 || > 2.3

Resolution

If there is:

• no package.json file in the root directory, the latest version of the package is installed.
• package.json file, the latest version satisfying the semver rule declared in package.json for that package (if there is any) is installed.

Management

Inject with WebPack

Read the version from Javascript Package - Package.json and inject it with the DefinePlugin in Webpack.

Example:

• Import the name

const webpack = require('webpack');
var packageJson = require('./package.json');

• Use the DefinePlugin and set the version in process.env.VERSION

var config = {
    ....
    plugins: [
        new webpack.DefinePlugin({
            'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV),
            'process.env.VERSION': JSON.stringify(packageJson.version)
        })
    ],
    ....
};

• In the code, the text process.env.VERSION will be replaced at compile time with the version.

export default myLib = {
    version: process.env.VERSION;
}