Release
A release is a set of code changes that has been tested, verified, and is ready to go to production. Releases often mark major sets or updates to functionality in a theme or plugin. In mature, actively developed themes and plugins, such as BU Banners or Responsive Framework, all code changes are managed as releases so that it is easy to roll back a deploy if necessary. In brand new themes, we typically forgo the release process since the site isn’t live yet. This keeps theme development speedy.
In a multiphase project, a release is often used to describe a set of functionality we are planning to incorporate down the road. For example, you may say that release 1 will focus on content and photography updates, while release 2 will focus on adding a custom filter.
Releases come in three categories, which impact their naming convention. You don’t necessarily need to know the difference between these unless you are a developer.
- Major: you’re adding significant new functionality that may include breaking changes
- Minor: you’re adding functionality, but it does not include any breaking changes
- Patch: you’re fixing a bug
See https://semver.org/ for the technical details for release naming.