Let’s talk about the most exciting topic in town version numbers. If you’re like me, you probably get a little giddy when you see that shiny new update pop up on your screen. But have you ever wondered how those versions are determined? Well, Time to get going with Python’s version numbering scheme and learn about the madness behind it all! To start why do we need version numbers in the first place? Simple answer: to keep track of changes.

When a new feature is added or an old one is removed, we want to know which version introduced that change so we can update accordingly. But here’s where it gets interesting… Python uses a slightly unconventional numbering system. Instead of the standard major-minor-patch format (e.g., 1.2.3), Python goes for something more… unique.

Let me break it down for you:

– Major version: This is where things get interesting. Instead of incrementing by one each time, Python jumps around like a hyperactive toddler on caffeine. For example, we went from 2.7 to 3.0 and then skipped straight to 3.5! Why? Because the changes between those versions were significant enough to warrant a major bump in version number.

– Minor version: This is where things get… less interesting. The minor version simply increments by one each time, like any other software update. For example, we went from Python 3.0 to 3.1 and then to 3.2.

Yawn.

– Patch version: Again, this follows the standard format of incrementing by one for each patch release. So if you see a version number with three digits (e.g., 3.5.4), that means it’s a minor update within a major release. But wait there’s more! Python also has something called “pre-releases”.

These are versions that haven’t been officially released yet, but are available for testing purposes. They follow the format X.Ya (e.g., 3.6a1). The ‘a’ stands for alpha, which means it’s a preliminary version and may contain bugs or other issues. It might seem confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty straightforward.

And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see a major jump from 3.9 to 4.0… or maybe not. Only time will tell!

But wait there’s more! In recent years, Python has been following a new versioning scheme called Semantic Versioning (SemVer).

This means that each release follows specific rules for adding new features and fixing bugs without breaking existing code. The major version number is incremented when incompatible changes are made to the language or standard library. For example, we recently saw the release of Python 3.9, which introduced several new features but also broke some backward compatibility with previous versions. Whether you prefer the classic numbering system or SemVer, one thing is for sure: Python continues to be an exciting language that keeps us on our toes.