Versioonivahemik

Versioonivahemik, often translated as "version range" or "version interval," refers to a way of specifying a set of acceptable versions for a software dependency. Instead of pinpointing a single exact version, a version range allows for flexibility, enabling software to work with multiple compatible versions of a dependency. This is crucial for managing dependencies in software development, particularly in package managers and dependency resolution systems.

Commonly, version ranges are defined using specific syntaxes. For example, a caret (^) might indicate a compatible version, meaning any version that does not change the leftmost non-zero digit. A tilde (~) might signify a more restrictive range, allowing only patch updates within a minor version. Explicit ranges can also be defined, such as "greater than or equal to X and less than Y" (>=X <Y).

The purpose of using version ranges is to balance stability and modernity. By allowing newer, compatible versions of dependencies, developers can benefit from bug fixes, security patches, and new features without breaking existing functionality. However, overly broad ranges can introduce instability if a new version of a dependency introduces backward-incompatible changes. Therefore, choosing appropriate version ranges is a key aspect of robust dependency management. Different programming languages and ecosystems have their own conventions and tools for defining and enforcing version ranges.