MajorMinorBuildRevision

Majorminorbuildrevision is a four-part versioning scheme used to label software releases with four numeric components: major, minor, build, and revision. It is commonly associated with Microsoft technologies, particularly .NET assemblies and Windows software, though its use is not exclusive. It differs from semantic versioning in that the additional build and revision elements are not standardized in the same way.

Major signals incompatible API changes or major rewrites; minor marks backward-compatible enhancements and new features; build typically increments with each new build of the same major/minor release and may reflect internal milestones or non-API-changing updates; revision provides a further subdivision used for patch-like changes within a build, often representing small bug fixes or metadata.

Usage commonly appears in assembly metadata and packaging: the four numbers are combined as major.minor.build.revision, for example 4.1.2.305. Build and revision can be auto-generated by build systems using timestamps, counters, or version-control data, reducing manual maintenance.

Relation to other versioning schemes: it is not the same as semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH with optional prerelease and build metadata). Some projects map build or revision to date-based values. Pros include fine-grained release tracking and internal iteration; cons include potential confusion about API changes and inconsistent interpretation across teams.

History and scope: The four-part scheme originated in Windows and .NET assembly versioning and has since spread in some software ecosystems. It remains one of several approaches to release numbering, with its usefulness depending on project needs and clear internal conventions.