---
id: BagelHole/DevOps-Security-Agent-Skills/semantic-versioning
version: "0bd4485f"
license: MIT
install: manual
updated: 2026-05-22
---

# semantic-versioning — This skill equips AI agents to handle version management workflows by applying semantic versioning conventions to your release pipeline. Streamline version bumping, changelog generation, and release tagging—letting your automation handle the repetitive parts of version control so your team focuses on what matters.

Publisher: BagelHole · Stars: 44 · Updated: 2026-05-22

Install (manual): `git clone https://github.com/BagelHole/DevOps-Security-Agent-Skills`

## SKILL.md

# Semantic Versioning

Automate version management and changelog generation following SemVer principles.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Implementing version numbering standards
- Automating release versioning
- Generating changelogs automatically
- Setting up release pipelines
- Managing package versions

## Prerequisites

- Git repository with commit history
- Node.js (for most tools)
- Conventional commits (recommended)

## Semantic Versioning Basics

### Version Format

```
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH[-PRERELEASE][+BUILD]

Examples:
1.0.0
2.1.3
1.0.0-alpha.1
1.0.0-beta.2+build.123
```

### Version Components

| Component | When to Increment |
|-----------|-------------------|
| MAJOR | Breaking changes (incompatible API changes) |
| MINOR | New features (backward compatible) |
| PATCH | Bug fixes (backward compatible) |
| PRERELEASE | Pre-release versions (alpha, beta, rc) |
| BUILD | Build metadata (ignored in precedence) |

### Version Precedence

```
1.0.0-alpha < 1.0.0-alpha.1 < 1.0.0-alpha.beta
< 1.0.0-beta < 1.0.0-beta.2 < 1.0.0-beta.11
< 1.0.0-rc.1 < 1.0.0 < 2.0.0
```

## Conventional Commits to Version

```yaml
Commit Type → Version Bump:
  feat:     → MINOR
  fix:      → PATCH
  docs:     → PATCH (or no release)
  style:    → PATCH (or no release)
  refactor: → PATCH
  perf:     → PATCH
  test:     → No release
  chore:    → No release
  
  BREAKING CHANGE: → MAJOR
  feat!:   → MAJOR
  fix!:    → MAJOR
```

## semantic-release

### Installation

```bash
npm install --save-dev semantic-release \
  @semantic-release/changelog \
  @semantic-release/git
```

### Configuration

```json
// .releaserc.json
{
  "branches": ["main"],
  "plugins": [
    "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
    "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator",
    ["@semantic-release/changelog", {
      "changelogFile": "CHANGELOG.md"
    }],
    ["@semantic-release/npm", {
      "npmPublish": true
    }],
    ["@semantic-release/git", {
      "assets": ["CHANGELOG.md", "package.json", "package-lock.json"],
      "message": "chore(release): ${nextRelease.version} [skip ci]\n\n${nextRelease.notes}"
    }],
    "@semantic-release/github"
  ]
}
```

### Advanced Configuration

```javascript
// release.config.js
module.exports = {
  branches: [
    'main',
    { name: 'beta', prerelease: true },
    { name: 'alpha', prerelease: true }
  ],
  plugins: [
    ['@semantic-release/commit-analyzer', {
      preset: 'angular',
      releaseRules: [
        { type: 'docs', release: 'patch' },
        { type: 'refactor', release: 'patch' },
        { type: 'style', release: 'patch' },
        { type: 'perf', release: 'patch' },
        { breaking: true, release: 'major' }
      ]
    }],
    ['@semantic-release/release-notes-generator', {
      preset: 'angular',
      writerOpts: {
        commitsSort: ['subject', 'scope']
      }
    }],
    '@semantic-release/changelog',
    '@semantic-release/npm',
    '@semantic-release/git',
    '@semantic-release/github'
  ]
};
```

### GitHub Actions Integration

```yaml
# .github/workflows/release.yml
name: Release

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
          persist-credentials: false

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'

      - run: npm ci

      - name: Release
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
        run: npx semantic-release
```

## standard-version

### Installation

```bash
npm install --save-dev standard-version
```

### Configuration

```json
// .versionrc.json
{
  "types": [
    { "type": "feat", "section": "Features" },
    { "type": "fix", "section": "Bug Fixes" },
    { "type": "docs", "section": "Documentation" },
    { "type": "style", "section": "Styling" },
    { "type": "refactor", "section": "Code Refactoring" },
    { "type": "perf", "section": "Performance" },
    { "type": "test", "section": "Tests" },
    { "type": "chore", "section": "Maintenance" }
  ],
  "skip": {
    "bump": false,
    "changelog": false,
    "commit": false,
    "tag": false
  },
  "commitUrlFormat": "https://github.com/owner/repo/commit/{{hash}}",
  "compareUrlFormat": "https://github.com/owner/repo/compare/{{previousTag}}...{{currentTag}}"
}
```

### Usage

```bash
# First release
npx standard-version --first-release

# Regular release (auto-detect version bump)
npx standard-version

# Specific version bump
npx standard-version --release-as minor
npx standard-version --release-as 1.1.0

# Pre-release
npx standard-version --prerelease alpha
npx standard-version --prerelease beta

# Dry run
npx standard-version --dry-run

# Skip specific steps
npx standard-version --skip.changelog
```

### NPM Scripts

```json
// package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "release": "standard-version",
    "release:minor": "standard-version --release-as minor",
    "release:major": "standard-version --release-as major",
    "release:alpha": "standard-version --prerelease alpha",
    "release:beta": "standard-version --prerelease beta",
    "release:dry": "standard-version --dry-run"
  }
}
```

## Changelog Generation

### conventional-changelog

```bash
# Install
npm install -g conventional-changelog-cli

# Generate changelog
conventional-changelog -p angular -i CHANGELOG.md -s

# Generate all history
conventional-changelog -p angular -i CHANGELOG.md -s -r 0
```

### git-cliff

```bash
# Install
cargo install git-cliff

# Generate changelog
git cliff -o CHANGELOG.md
```

```toml
# cliff.toml
[changelog]
header = "# Changelog\n\n"
body = """
{% for group, commits in commits | group_by(attribute="group") %}
## {{ group | upper_first }}
{% for commit in commits %}
- {{ commit.message | upper_first }}\
{% endfor %}
{% endfor %}
"""
trim = true

[git]
conventional_commits = true
filter_unconventional = true
commit_preprocessors = [
    { pattern = '\((\w+)\s#([0-9]+)\)', replace = "([#${2}](https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/${2}))" },
]
commit_parsers = [
    { message = "^feat", group = "Features" },
    { message = "^fix", group = "Bug Fixes" },
    { message = "^doc", group = "Documentation" },
    { message = "^perf", group = "Performance" },
    { message = "^refactor", group = "Refactoring" },
    { message = "^style", group = "Styling" },
    { message = "^test", group = "Testing" },
    { message = "^chore", group = "Miscellaneous" },
]
filter_commits = true
tag_pattern = "v[0-9]*"
```

## Version Bumping Scripts

### Bash Script

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# bump-version.sh

CURRENT_VERSION=$(cat package.json | jq -r '.version')
echo "Current version: $CURRENT_VERSION"

IFS='.' read -r MAJOR MINOR PATCH <<< "$CURRENT_VERSION"

case $1 in
  major)
    NEW_VERSION="$((MAJOR + 1)).0.0"
    ;;
  minor)
    NEW_VERSION="$MAJOR.$((MINOR + 1)).0"
    ;;
  patch)
    NEW_VERSION="$MAJOR.$MINOR.$((PATCH + 1))"
    ;;
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {major|minor|patch}"
    exit 1
    ;;
esac

echo "New version: $NEW_VERSION"

# Update package.json
npm version $NEW_VERSION --no-git-tag-version

# Create git tag
git add package.json package-lock.json
git commit -m "chore: bump version to $NEW_VERSION"
git tag -a "v$NEW_VERSION" -m "Version $NEW_VERSION"
```

### Python Script

```python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# bump_version.py

import re
import sys
import subprocess

def get_current_version():
    with open('setup.py', 'r') as f:
        content = f.read()
        match = re.search(r"version=['\"]([^'\"]+)['\"]", content)
        return match.group(1) if match else None

def bump_version(current, bump_type):
    major, minor, patch = map(int, current.split('.'))
    
    if bump_type == 'major':
        return f'{major + 1}.0.0'
    elif bump_type == 'minor':
        return f'{major}.{minor + 1}.0'
    elif bump_type == 'patch':
        return f'{major}.{minor}.{patch + 1}'
    else:
        raise ValueError(f'Invalid bump type: {bump_type}')

def update_version(old_version, new_version):
    with open('setup.py', 'r') as f:
        content = f.read()
    
    content = content.replace(f"version='{old_version}'", f"version='{new_version}'")
    
    with open('setup.py', 'w') as f:
        f.write(content)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    bump_type = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 'patch'
    current = get_current_version()
    new = bump_version(current, bump_type)
    
    print(f'Bumping version: {current} → {new}')
    update_version(current, new)
    
    subprocess.run(['git', 'add', 'setup.py'])
    subprocess.run(['git', 'commit', '-m', f'chore: bump version to {new}'])
    subprocess.run(['git', 'tag', '-a', f'v{new}', '-m', f'Version {new}'])
```

## Multi-Package Versioning

### Lerna

```json
// lerna.json
{
  "version": "independent",
  "npmClient": "npm",
  "command": {
    "version": {
      "conventionalCommits": true,
      "message": "chore(release): publish"
    },
    "publish": {
      "conventionalCommits": true
    }
  }
}
```

```bash
# Version all changed packages
npx lerna version

# Publish all changed packages
npx lerna publish
```

### Changesets

```bash
# Initialize
npx @changesets/cli init

# Add changeset
npx changeset add

# Version packages
npx changeset version

# Publish
npx changeset publish
```

## Common Issues

### Issue: No Version Bump
**Problem**: semantic-release not creating release
**Solution**: Check commit format, verify branch configuration

### Issue: Wrong Version Calculated
**Problem**: Major/minor/patch incorrectly determined
**Solution**: Review commit analyzer rules, check for missing prefixes

### Issue: Duplicate Tags
**Problem**: Tag already exists
**Solution**: Clean up tags, verify version wasn't already released

## Best Practices

- Use conventional commits consistently
- Automate version bumping in CI
- Generate changelogs automatically
- Tag releases in Git
- Use pre-release versions for testing
- Document breaking changes clearly
- Include migration guides for major versions
- Lock dependencies with exact versions

## Related Skills

- [git-workflow](../git-workflow/) - Branching strategies
- [github-actions](../../ci-cd/github-actions/) - CI automation
- [feature-flags](../feature-flags/) - Progressive rollout


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