Dan Rollo created MNGSITE-167: --------------------------------- Summary: Maven Getting Started Guide should clarify SNAPSHOT qualifier of 'version' element precedes release Key: MNGSITE-167 URL: https://jira.codehaus.org/browse/MNGSITE-167 Project: Maven Project Web Site Issue Type: Bug Reporter: Dan Rollo
In the "Maven Getting Started Guide" http://maven.apache.org/guides/getting-started/index.html (linked to as: "Getting Started Tutorial" from: http://maven.apache.org/users/index.html, which is linked to as: "Use Maven" from: http://maven.apache.org/ ) under the link: "How do I make my first Maven project?", the description bullet for the "version" pom element mentions SNAPSHOT as follows: version This element indicates the version of the artifact generated by the project. Maven goes a long way to help you with version management and you will often see the SNAPSHOT designator in a version, which indicates that a project is in a state of development. We will discuss the use of snapshots and how they work further on in this guide. Though a later description is promised, the concept that a SNAPSHOT version "preceeds" the non-SNAPSHOT (aka "release") version is never mentioned in this document. I have had to describe this fact to a number of people as well, so I think this 'version' element doc should be changed to mention a SNAPSHOT precedes a release (or some new section added elsewhere in this doc to clarify this point). Here are some of the other responses from the user list that might help to come up with a clear doco snippet: 1. A SNAPSHOT is the development version before producing the release. A SNAPSHOT is older than its release 1.0.0-SNAPSHOT -> 1.0.0-> 1.0.1-SNAPSHOT -> 1.0.1 -> .. 2. 1.0.0 is newer than 1.0.0-SNAPSHOT 3. x.x.x-SNAPSHOT is the precursor to x.x.x The SNAPSHOT value is used to allow the version to refer to the 'latest' code along a branch and provides no guarantee that the code is stable or unchanging. The release process changes x.x.x-SNAPSHOT to x.x.x, freezes the code to provide a guarantee that the version is unchanging. The release process should also move the version to x.x.x+1-SNAPSHOT. It follows that any released code cannot be dependent on SNAPSHOT code Below is a thread snippet from maven users mailing list: Subject: Re: 1.0.0-SNAPSHOT considered older than 1.0.0? From: <org.apache.maven.u...@io7m.com> Date: 12/20/2012 10:09 AM To: "Maven Users List" <us...@maven.apache.org> On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:08:26 +0100 Arnaud Héritier <aherit...@gmail.com> wrote: > I don't have the time to check the doc but if it's not in, this is a big > error (don't hesitate to open an issue) > A SNAPSHOT is the development version before producing the release. > A SNAPSHOT is older than its release > 1.0.0-SNAPSHOT -> 1.0.0-> 1.0.1-SNAPSHOT -> 1.0.1 -> .. Thanks to all that replied. The missing documentation I was referring to was: http://maven.apache.org/guides/getting-started/index.html#How_do_I_make_my_first_Maven_project Note: "We will discuss the use of snapshots and how they work further on in this guide" The word "snapshots" doesn't appear again on the page. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators: https://jira.codehaus.org/secure/ContactAdministrators!default.jspa For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira