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What is Semantic Versioning (SemVer)?
Definition
Semantic Versioning uses a three-part version number: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (e.g., 2.4.1). MAJOR increments for breaking changes, MINOR for backward-compatible features, and PATCH for backward-compatible bug fixes.
Why It Matters
SemVer tells developers whether an update is safe to install. Package managers (npm, pip) use SemVer to resolve dependencies — ^2.0.0 means any 2.x version, ~2.4.0 means any 2.4.x version. Following SemVer prevents surprise breaking changes.