Provided by: npm_3.5.2-0ubuntu4_all 
NAME
semver - The semantic versioner for npm
Usage
$ npm install semver
semver.valid(´1.2.3´) // ´1.2.3´
semver.valid(´a.b.c´) // null
semver.clean(´ =v1.2.3 ´) // ´1.2.3´
semver.satisfies(´1.2.3´, ´1.x || >=2.5.0 || 5.0.0 - 7.2.3´) // true
semver.gt(´1.2.3´, ´9.8.7´) // false
semver.lt(´1.2.3´, ´9.8.7´) // true
As a command-line utility:
$ semver -h
Usage: semver <version> [<version> [...]] [-r <range> | -i <inc> | --preid <identifier> | -l | -rv]
Test if version(s) satisfy the supplied range(s), and sort them.
Multiple versions or ranges may be supplied, unless increment
option is specified. In that case, only a single version may
be used, and it is incremented by the specified level
Program exits successfully if any valid version satisfies
all supplied ranges, and prints all satisfying versions.
If no versions are valid, or ranges are not satisfied,
then exits failure.
Versions are printed in ascending order, so supplying
multiple versions to the utility will just sort them.
Versions
A "version" is described by the v2.0.0 specification found at http://semver.org/. A leading "=" or "v" character is stripped off and ignored.
Ranges
A version range is a set of comparators which specify versions that satisfy the range.
A comparator is composed of an operator and a version. The set of primitive operators is:
• < Less than
• <= Less than or equal to
• > Greater than
• >= Greater than or equal to
• = Equal. If no operator is specified, then equality is assumed, so this operator is optional, but MAY
be included.
For example, the comparator >=1.2.7 would match the versions 1.2.7, 1.2.8, 2.5.3, and 1.3.9, but not the
versions 1.2.6 or 1.1.0.
Comparators can be joined by whitespace to form a comparator set, which is satisfied by the intersection
of all of the comparators it includes.
A range is composed of one or more comparator sets, joined by ||. A version matches a range if and only
if every comparator in at least one of the ||-separated comparator sets is satisfied by the version.
For example, the range >=1.2.7 <1.3.0 would match the versions 1.2.7, 1.2.8, and 1.2.99, but not the
versions 1.2.6, 1.3.0, or 1.1.0.
The range 1.2.7 || >=1.2.9 <2.0.0 would match the versions 1.2.7, 1.2.9, and 1.4.6, but not the versions
1.2.8 or 2.0.0.
Prerelease Tags
If a version has a prerelease tag (for example, 1.2.3-alpha.3) then it will only be allowed to satisfy
comparator sets if at least one comparator with the same [major, minor, patch] tuple also has a
prerelease tag.
For example, the range >1.2.3-alpha.3 would be allowed to match the version 1.2.3-alpha.7, but it would
not be satisfied by 3.4.5-alpha.9, even though 3.4.5-alpha.9 is technically "greater than" 1.2.3-alpha.3
according to the SemVer sort rules. The version range only accepts prerelease tags on the 1.2.3 version.
The version 3.4.5 would satisfy the range, because it does not have a prerelease flag, and 3.4.5 is
greater than 1.2.3-alpha.7.
The purpose for this behavior is twofold. First, prerelease versions frequently are updated very quickly,
and contain many breaking changes that are (by the author´s design) not yet fit for public consumption.
Therefore, by default, they are excluded from range matching semantics.
Second, a user who has opted into using a prerelease version has clearly indicated the intent to use that
specific set of alpha/beta/rc versions. By including a prerelease tag in the range, the user is
indicating that they are aware of the risk. However, it is still not appropriate to assume that they have
opted into taking a similar risk on the next set of prerelease versions.
The method .inc takes an additional identifier string argument that will append the value of the string
as a prerelease identifier:
> semver.inc(´1.2.3´, ´pre´, ´beta´)
´1.2.4-beta.0´
command-line example:
$ semver 1.2.3 -i prerelease --preid beta
1.2.4-beta.0
Which then can be used to increment further:
$ semver 1.2.4-beta.0 -i prerelease
1.2.4-beta.1
Advanced Range Syntax
Advanced range syntax desugars to primitive comparators in deterministic ways.
Advanced ranges may be combined in the same way as primitive comparators using white space or ||.
Specifies an inclusive set.
• 1.2.3 - 2.3.4 := >=1.2.3 <=2.3.4
If a partial version is provided as the first version in the inclusive range, then the missing pieces are
replaced with zeroes.
• 1.2 - 2.3.4 := >=1.2.0 <=2.3.4
If a partial version is provided as the second version in the inclusive range, then all versions that
start with the supplied parts of the tuple are accepted, but nothing that would be greater than the
provided tuple parts.
• 1.2.3 - 2.3 := >=1.2.3 <2.4.0
• 1.2.3 - 2 := >=1.2.3 <3.0.0
Any of X, x, or * may be used to "stand in" for one of the numeric values in the [major, minor, patch]
tuple.
• * := >=0.0.0 (Any version satisfies)
• 1.x := >=1.0.0 <2.0.0 (Matching major version)
• 1.2.x := >=1.2.0 <1.3.0 (Matching major and minor versions)
A partial version range is treated as an X-Range, so the special character is in fact optional.
• "" (empty string) := * := >=0.0.0
• 1 := 1.x.x := >=1.0.0 <2.0.0
• 1.2 := 1.2.x := >=1.2.0 <1.3.0
Allows patch-level changes if a minor version is specified on the comparator. Allows minor-level changes
if not.
• ~1.2.3 := >=1.2.3 <1.(2+1).0 := >=1.2.3 <1.3.0
• ~1.2 := >=1.2.0 <1.(2+1).0 := >=1.2.0 <1.3.0 (Same as 1.2.x)
• ~1 := >=1.0.0 <(1+1).0.0 := >=1.0.0 <2.0.0 (Same as 1.x)
• ~0.2.3 := >=0.2.3 <0.(2+1).0 := >=0.2.3 <0.3.0
• ~0.2 := >=0.2.0 <0.(2+1).0 := >=0.2.0 <0.3.0 (Same as 0.2.x)
• ~0 := >=0.0.0 <(0+1).0.0 := >=0.0.0 <1.0.0 (Same as 0.x)
• ~1.2.3-beta.2 := >=1.2.3-beta.2 <1.3.0 Note that prereleases in the 1.2.3 version will be allowed, if
they are greater than or equal to beta.2. So, 1.2.3-beta.4 would be allowed, but 1.2.4-beta.2 would
not, because it is a prerelease of a different [major, minor, patch] tuple.
Allows changes that do not modify the left-most non-zero digit in the [major, minor, patch] tuple. In
other words, this allows patch and minor updates for versions 1.0.0 and above, patch updates for versions
0.X >=0.1.0, and no updates for versions 0.0.X.
Many authors treat a 0.x version as if the x were the major "breaking-change" indicator.
Caret ranges are ideal when an author may make breaking changes between 0.2.4 and 0.3.0 releases, which
is a common practice. However, it presumes that there will not be breaking changes between 0.2.4 and
0.2.5. It allows for changes that are presumed to be additive (but non-breaking), according to commonly
observed practices.
• ^1.2.3 := >=1.2.3 <2.0.0
• ^0.2.3 := >=0.2.3 <0.3.0
• ^0.0.3 := >=0.0.3 <0.0.4
• ^1.2.3-beta.2 := >=1.2.3-beta.2 <2.0.0 Note that prereleases in the 1.2.3 version will be allowed, if
they are greater than or equal to beta.2. So, 1.2.3-beta.4 would be allowed, but 1.2.4-beta.2 would
not, because it is a prerelease of a different [major, minor, patch] tuple.
• ^0.0.3-beta := >=0.0.3-beta <0.0.4 Note that prereleases in the 0.0.3 version only will be allowed,
if they are greater than or equal to beta. So, 0.0.3-pr.2 would be allowed.
When parsing caret ranges, a missing patch value desugars to the number 0, but will allow flexibility
within that value, even if the major and minor versions are both 0.
• ^1.2.x := >=1.2.0 <2.0.0
• ^0.0.x := >=0.0.0 <0.1.0
• ^0.0 := >=0.0.0 <0.1.0
A missing minor and patch values will desugar to zero, but also allow flexibility within those values,
even if the major version is zero.
• ^1.x := >=1.0.0 <2.0.0
• ^0.x := >=0.0.0 <1.0.0
Functions
All methods and classes take a final loose boolean argument that, if true, will be more forgiving about
not-quite-valid semver strings. The resulting output will always be 100% strict, of course.
Strict-mode Comparators and Ranges will be strict about the SemVer strings that they parse.
• valid(v): Return the parsed version, or null if it´s not valid.
•
• premajor in one call will bump the version up to the next major version and down to a prerelease of
that major version. preminor, and prepatch work the same way.
• If called from a non-prerelease version, the prerelease will work the same as prepatch. It increments
the patch version, then makes a prerelease. If the input version is already a prerelease it simply
increments it.
• major(v): Return the major version number.
• minor(v): Return the minor version number.
• patch(v): Return the patch version number.
Comparison
• gt(v1, v2): v1 > v2
• gte(v1, v2): v1 >= v2
• lt(v1, v2): v1 < v2
• lte(v1, v2): v1 <= v2
• eq(v1, v2): v1 == v2 This is true if they´re logically equivalent, even if they´re not the exact same
string. You already know how to compare strings.
• neq(v1, v2): v1 != v2 The opposite of eq.
• cmp(v1, comparator, v2): Pass in a comparison string, and it´ll call the corresponding function
above. "===" and "!==" do simple string comparison, but are included for completeness. Throws if an
invalid comparison string is provided.
• compare(v1, v2): Return 0 if v1 == v2, or 1 if v1 is greater, or -1 if v2 is greater. Sorts in
ascending order if passed to Array.sort().
• rcompare(v1, v2): The reverse of compare. Sorts an array of versions in descending order when passed
to Array.sort().
• diff(v1, v2): Returns difference between two versions by the release type (major, premajor, minor,
preminor, patch, prepatch, or prerelease), or null if the versions are the same.
Ranges
• validRange(range): Return the valid range or null if it´s not valid
• satisfies(version, range): Return true if the version satisfies the range.
• maxSatisfying(versions, range): Return the highest version in the list that satisfies the range, or
null if none of them do.
• gtr(version, range): Return true if version is greater than all the versions possible in the range.
• ltr(version, range): Return true if version is less than all the versions possible in the range.
• outside(version, range, hilo): Return true if the version is outside the bounds of the range in
either the high or low direction. The hilo argument must be either the string ´>´ or ´<´. (This is
the function called by gtr and ltr.)
Note that, since ranges may be non-contiguous, a version might not be greater than a range, less than a
range, or satisfy a range! For example, the range 1.2 <1.2.9 || >2.0.0 would have a hole from 1.2.9 until
2.0.0, so the version 1.2.10 would not be greater than the range (because 2.0.1 satisfies, which is
higher), nor less than the range (since 1.2.8 satisfies, which is lower), and it also does not satisfy
the range.
If you want to know if a version satisfies or does not satisfy a range, use the satisfies(version, range)
function.
December 2015 SEMVER(7)