Home / Questions / 2253
Accepted
Gepser Hoil
Asked: 2020-01-09 08:59:14 +0800 CST 2020-01-09 08:59:14 +0800 CST

What do the symbols before the version number mean in the package.json?

  • 772

Using node.js, in package.jsonyou can see in the dependencies the name and the version number, something like this:

"dependencies": {    
  "jshint": "^2.8.0"
}

Note that the symbol appears ^(I don't know the name in Spanish but apparently in English it is called caret ).

However, in other repositories dependencies appear with another symbol, like this:

"dependencies": {    
  "jshint": "~1.8.0"
}

Note that now the symbol that precedes the version number is ~(in English they call it tilde and in Spanish virgulilla ).

I have also seen repositories with dependencies without either symbol, something like this:

"dependencies": {    
  "jshint": "1.8.0"
}

What is the difference between these symbols and what do they mean in the package.json?

nodejs

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    For : ~1.8.0 will match all 1.8.xversions, but miss 1.9.0(This has been the default behavior).

    To: ^You will be updated to the latest major version (the first issue). ^ 2.8.0will match any 2.x.xrelease including 2.9.0, but keeping the version distance3.0.0

    Example on 3.9.2: (taken from the link provided at the end)

    Symbol     Dependency   Versions    Changes
tilde (~)   ~3.9.2        3.9.*      -bug fix

caret (^)   ^3.9.2        3.*.*      -backwards compatible new functionality 
                                     -old functionality deprecated, but operational
                                     -large internal refactor
                                     -bug fix

    Semantic Versioning uses the three-part version number.

      2           8           0
major       minor       patch

    For more details you can consult http://bytearcher.com/articles/semver-explained-why-theres-a-caret-in-my-package-json/ (link english)

    Update: When I read the question it wasn't there or I didn't see that it asked about "1.8.0"

    as @César Bustíos says in his answer that I just read version "Exactly this version"

    To: "1.8.0"Exactly this version.

    Update: ^ Caret, in Spanish it could be named as acento circunflejo, is code 94 of ASCII code, which corresponds to the same code for caret.

    (link 1) http://www.elcodigoascii.com.ar/codigos-ascii/intercalacion-acento-circunflejo-codigo-ascii-94.html

    (link 2) https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acento_circunflejo

    • 9

  2. They mean the following:

    version "Exactly this version"

    ~version "Roughly equivalent to version"

    ^version "Compatible with version"

    Taken from package.json . Also, as recommended on the page, you can take a look at the semver tool , surely with the examples and the validations it will be clearer to you.

    • 1