Versioning

Use this page to pick the right version bump for a contract change.

This package follows strict semver. Plugins reference the package and the host provides the assembly at runtime, so a careless change breaks every plugin in the field.

Rules

Change	Bump	PR label
Change a method signature, add a method to an existing interface, or rename a member	MAJOR	breaking-change
Add a new optional interface or a default-implemented method	MINOR	feature
Docs, metadata, or packaging tweaks	PATCH	None needed

How the version is resolved

• application.properties holds the current <version>. It's the single source of truth. src/Directory.Build.props reads it into $(Version) at build and pack time.
• release-drafter (.github/release-drafter.yml) resolves the next version from the labels on merged PRs and drafts the changelog:
  • breaking or breaking-change: major
  • feature, enhancement, or minor: minor
  • anything else: patch
• Cutting the release runs the publish flow, which syncs application.properties to the tag before packing. See publishing.

Assembly version stability

Directory.Build.props pins the assembly version to MAJOR.MINOR.0.0. FileVersion and InformationalVersion carry the full version.

A plugin built against any MAJOR.MINOR.x binds to one MAJOR.MINOR.0.0 assembly. Patch bumps don't force a rebuild of every plugin and don't cause type-load failures across patch versions. Only a MINOR or MAJOR bump changes the binding assembly version, which is another reason to follow the table above exactly.

Before 1.0

While the version is 0.x, a breaking change bumps MINOR (0.3 to 0.4) instead of MAJOR. Cut the release with an explicit gh release create v0.<next>.0, not the version release-drafter suggests for a breaking-change label.

Compatibility at load time

The backend compares the Schuly.Plugin.Abstractions assembly version a plugin was built against with its own. It refuses an incompatible plugin with a clear log message, so the plugin doesn't fail later with a type-load error.

Host contract	A plugin is compatible when
1.x and later	It has the same MAJOR, and its MINOR is not newer than the host's
0.x	It has the same MAJOR.MINOR

So during 0.x, plugins need a rebuild after every MINOR release.