versionsometimes

Versionsometimes is a neologism used in software engineering to describe a release approach in which version numbers are not tied to a rigid schedule or a fixed feature count, but are incremented based on the occurrence of predefined milestones. The term is not part of a formal standard and is mostly encountered in theoretical discussions or informal proposals.

In practice, versionsometimes defines conditions under which a version bump occurs. For example, a major version may increment only when an API change is public and breaks compatibility; minor versions for new, user-facing features; patches for bug fixes that affect behavior. If no milestone is reached, the project may stay on the same version despite ongoing changes. This approach aims to align version signaling with observable impact rather than time or feature quantity.

Versionsometimes is often contrasted with semantic versioning, which imposes explicit rules for major, minor, and patch increments, and with date-based versioning, which ties versions to a calendar or release date. The versionsometimes concept emphasizes milestone criteria and external impact as the triggers for version changes, rather than a fixed cadence or a predetermined feature list.

Adoption of versionsometimes remains limited and largely conceptual. Proponents argue it can reduce churn and make versions more meaningful to users, while critics warn of ambiguity and potential interoperability issues across tools and ecosystems. See also: semantic versioning, date-based versioning, release management.