As an aside, the v-string literal in Perl doesn't like leading zeros; e.g. v0.09 thinks that the 09 part is octal! Since the comparisons of v-strings work part-wise, there is no longer a need to call it 09 just so it sorts less than 10.

A while back I wrote a compare function that took all kinds of stuff in a version string, and compared each part according to what it looked like. So you could have '3.0b' for example. But using v-strings throughout Perl for $VERSION etc., we need to stick with plain numbers.

As for different ideas, here at work we have a major release called an "Iteration" and within that possibly more "Revisions". Once we had a patch, so that gives three numbers: i3r1p2, for example. Or v3.1.2 to use more standard forms.

In some of my C++ freeware, I have versions released as formal releases called "Public Build", so you have for example pb5. No subversions or anything--each time the formal release process is performed, the number is incremented. That's simpler than keeping track of various levels and what they mean, isn't it?

For continuing work, I use a trailing + symbol. So version pb5+3 is three informal releases beyond pb5. If I wanted to note individual builds, that could be a third number.

So what that boils down to is that the internal releases are a deeper number than the formal releases, as opposed to using odd/even or different ranges. Logically, it amounts to the same thing: formal release further increases the number, new development increases that, and you can tell whether a version is formal or internal if you know that only certain numbers can be formal because they are snapped to a grid, so to speak.

I think that's the fundimental concept set that works for lots of people.

You should also work within people's intuition that changes to less-significant positions means less significant changes.

For my backup utility script, I don't distinguish between formal and internal work. It's small and simple so I generally don't stop until it's stable again.

I suppose a status indicator near the $VERSION indicator would be a OK idea, in general. State whether it's formal, beta, private, etc.

—John