Formpipe Release Terminology

This article gives an overview of the version numbering system, release terminology and release types used across all Formpipe products.

Version Numbering

The graphic above gives a simple breakdown of semantic versioning. Our development teams follow this for all products.

To explain a little further how we implement this here at Formpipe:

• Major: Our largest release type which can include multiple new features, architectural changes, and dependency changes. A major release can also include API modifications and improvements that are breaking changes, and are consequently incompatible with third-party or external software written to integrate with a previous major version.

• Minor: Second tier release that includes one or multiple new features and is backward compatible. Significant architecture, dependency, or API changes are never included. Even though we call this a ‘minor’ release, it still may contain many new features. Bug fixes that were not urgent enough for a dedicated release can be included here.

• Patch: Bug or security fixes that are backward compatible and contain either a single fix or a handful of fixes. Due to the ad-hoc nature and limited scope of these releases, a beta release is not usually made available for patch versions.

  • Legacy Terms: Maintenance Release, Hot Fix

In order to make the Lasernet BC Connector available on AppSource, a slightly different version number format is used. These version numbers consist of four parts. The first part is still the Major version number. The second number is increased for larger features and the third for minor features. The fourth part is still the Patch version number. The content of the release types still adhere to the semantic versioning approach above.

Release Types

Alongside version numbering, the following release types are available.

General Release

Used to denote the completed public release that is available to our partners and customers.

Legacy Terms: Final Release, Stable Build, External Release

Beta

A test release that has undergone a sufficient level of testing to be made generally available to partners and customers. From this point forward, no additional functionality will be added and only bug fixes and security fixes are expected.

• Downloads for Lasernet and Autoform DM are available via our online portal for partners and customers.

• For Dynamics Connector, we do not offer beta releases publicly by default. Please contact us if you would like to be involved in a connector beta release.

Legacy Terms: Internal Release, Alpha, First Release

Release Candidate

For our largest major releases, where a significant number of compatibility changes have been made, we may issue a release candidate. Release candidates are stable versions of the software that contain all expected features and are very close to a final product. Unlike a beta, this release type is supported by full documentation. External availability mirrors the beta release approach.