Release Types
January 30, 2026 · View on GitHub
This page describes release types and constraints. Guidance on how to release is in lifecycle.md.
Release Types
| Type | Purpose | Required API Status |
|---|---|---|
pre-release-alpha | Early feedback | alpha or higher |
pre-release-rc | Release candidate | rc or higher |
public-release | Production-ready | public only |
maintenance-release | Patch release | public only |
API Status Levels
| Status | Meaning | Releasable? |
|---|---|---|
draft | Declared, not implemented | No |
alpha | Early implementation | Yes (alpha+) |
rc | Feature-complete | Yes (rc+) |
public | Production-ready | Yes |
Public Release Variants
| Variant | API Version | Meta-release | Breaking Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 0.y.z | Optional | May occur |
| Stable | x.y.z (x≥1) | Required | Major versions only |
Maintenance Releases
Maintenance releases provide patches to existing public releases:
- Bug fixes and security patches only
- Based on a maintenance branch (
maintenance-rX) - Patch version increment only (e.g.,
1.0.0→1.0.1)