Difference between revisions of "Version numbering"

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For information on how Viewer and Server releases are numbered, please see the new [https://releasenotes.secondlife.com/version_numbering.html Version Numbering] page.
==What do the numbers in a release version mean?==
* 1.x.y.z? And why is it sometimes 1.x.y(z)?
* For example, '''version 1.21.6(99587)'''
 
 
These version numbers follow a common convention in software engineering of four numbers. The common definition of w.x.y.z-style release numbers is Major.Minor.Patch.Revision. 
 
 
'''w (Major)'''<br/>
Using that terminology, Second Life has only had one Major version change - from 0.x beta to 1.0 release. As Second Life is a constantly evolving service and platform rather than a traditional monolithic software application, we have no current plans to increment the initial number.
 
 
'''.x (Minor) and .y (Patch)'''<br/>
*Linden Lab uses the second digit ''x'' to denote a substantial new feature or sizable release, for example:
** 1.10 introduced flexi prims
** 1.11 was a revamp of the UI layer
** 1.12 had groups and estates improvements
** 1.14 introduced render pipeline improvements
** 1.20 introduced a "Silver" skin for the user interface
** 1.21 introduced the ability to save scripts with the Mono scripting engine
** 1.22 was a maintenance release with many bug fixes
** and so on.
** (The SL History Wiki http://secondlife.wikia.com/index.php/Release_Notes has unofficial archives of the release notes.)
 
 
* In between these Minor 1.x versions are any improved builds (small iterations of little bug fixes) denoted by the third digit '''.y'''. 
** Most often, while a Minor 1.x version is in its beta or Release Candidate RC status, it will undergo 3-6 such build iterations.  Thus it will typically become "official" with a number like 1.20'''.6'''.
** ''EXCEPTION:'' In the versions from 1.15 to 1.19, Linden Lab switched to having the second digit (e.g. 1.''19'') denote a new viewer which was a ''mandatory upgrade'' for Residents, to go along with a server-side upgrade.  Thus, from version 1.15 to 1.19, the in-between 1.x'''.y''' versions were ''any optional'' upgrades denoted by the third digit, y -- even those with substantial new features -- such as 1.19.''1'' introduced WindLight atmospheric rendering.
 
 
'''.z (Revision)'''<br/>
The final digit always represents a unique Revision number, which denotes internal changes only. The official released version of the Second Life viewer will only use the first three digits to have meaning (e.g. 1.20.6).
* Some parts of the Second Life UI and Web site show this last digit in parenthesis '''(z)''' to emphasize the, er, parenthetical nature of that field - it shouldn’t be important except to software developers seeking a precise snapshot of when the code was packaged.


[[Category:Release Notes]]
[[Category:Release Notes]]

Latest revision as of 17:28, 20 May 2019

For information on how Viewer and Server releases are numbered, please see the new Version Numbering page.

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