The Version Number Every RAXXO Tool Follows and Why

Description and use

Implementing strict semantic versioning in a solo studio reduced support tickets and increased user trust by ensuring transparent change communication.

Problem

Solo developers often ignore semantic versioning, leading to silent breaking changes that harm users and increase support effort.

Outcome

Adhering to strict semantic versioning reduced support incidents, improved user trust, and provided a mental shortcut for the developer when revisiting old codebases.

Workflow

• 1. Identify the change type (bug fix, feature, dependency update).
• 2. Write a one‑sentence version decision (e.g., "patch, formatting fix only").
• 3. Create a changelog entry with the same version number.
• 4. If the change is a bug fix, tag as patch; if it adds new capability without breaking, tag as minor; if it changes defaults or behavior, tag as major.
• 5. Ship the release. If multiple changes are ready, ship them as separate releases (patch then minor).
• 6. If a major change is needed, bump the major version and clearly document the breaking change.

Evidence

The one time I skipped the discipline, a silent breaking change went out labeled as a patch and it cost me a support thread I could have avoided entirely

Source

I write the version bump decision down in one sentence before I write the changelog entry

Source