vcver
provide package versions with version control data.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is abandoned (last release 2021-08-10, no commits since) and targets legacy setuptools workflows. Only install if you have an existing project already using vcver and cannot migrate to actively maintained alternatives.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a version control repository (git, hg, etc.) or a VERSION file in the package directory; vcver will not work in a bare source tree without SCM metadata.
- Low install friction with a single lightweight dependency (packaging).
- However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2021-08-10 with no commits since then.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), so there are no restrictions on commercial or proprietary use. You may use, modify, and distribute the package freely as long as you retain the license notice.
last release 2021-08-10 (1830 days) · last repo commit 2021-08-10 · 1 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 498,868 downloads/mo, #6,328 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
# In setup.py
import vcver
setup(
name='mypackage',
setup_requires=['vcver'],
vcver={'is_release': False, 'path': os.path.dirname(__file__)}
)
# vcver generates a VERSION file with the computed version string- Whether vcver works correctly with Python versions released after 2021-08-10, given the last release date and abandoned status
- Current compatibility with modern setuptools build workflows versus the legacy setup.py-only approach documented
What it is and what it does
vcver is a setup tool that automatically generates version strings for Python packages by reading version control metadata. It produces two types of versions: development versions (e.g., 1.1.dev10+master.abc123) that include commit count, branch, and change ID for debugging, and release versions (e.g., 1.1) taken directly from git tags. The tool is designed to work with setuptools during the build process and writes a VERSION file that can be included in source distributions.
The package solves the problem of keeping package versions in sync with version control without manual version bumping in setup.py. It distinguishes between release branches (where versions come from tags) and development branches (where versions are zeroed out to prevent accidental installation of development builds). All generated versions comply with PEP440.
Use it for
- Automatically version Python packages from git tags without manually updating setup.py for each release
- Generate development version strings that encode branch and commit information for debugging build artifacts
- Prevent accidental installation of development branch versions by zeroing out non-release branch versions
- Include version metadata in source distributions via a generated VERSION file for offline builds
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is abandoned (last release 2021-08-10, no commits since) and targets legacy setuptools workflows. Only install if you have an existing project already using vcver and cannot migrate to actively maintained alternatives.
Install
vcver on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single lightweight dependency (packaging). However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2021-08-10 with no commits since then. Use only if your project's versioning approach aligns with its design and you can maintain it yourself if needed.
Requires a version control repository (git, hg, etc.) or a VERSION file in the package directory; vcver will not work in a bare source tree without SCM metadata.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), so there are no restrictions on commercial or proprietary use. You may use, modify, and distribute the package freely as long as you retain the license notice.
Quickstart
# In setup.py
import vcver
setup(
name='mypackage',
setup_requires=['vcver'],
vcver={'is_release': False, 'path': os.path.dirname(__file__)}
)
# vcver generates a VERSION file with the computed version stringVerify before relying
- Whether vcver works correctly with Python versions released after 2021-08-10, given the last release date and abandoned status
- Current compatibility with modern setuptools build workflows versus the legacy setup.py-only approach documented
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagepackaging |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,830 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 498,868 / month, #6,328 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: MacOSOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Topic :: System :: Software Distribution |
Evidence: vcver-0.2.12-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also autosemver · vcs-versioning · setuptools-scm-git-archive · parver · release-tag · semver · python-semantic-release · bumpver · setuptools-git-versioning