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1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions packages/docs/docs.json
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{
"group": "Resources",
"pages": [
"docs/releases",
"docs/migration-v6",
"docs/roadmap",
"docs/llms",
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62 changes: 62 additions & 0 deletions packages/docs/docs/releases.mdx
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---
title: Releases
description: How we version OpenWorkflow while we're still pre-1.0
---

OpenWorkflow is pre-1.0. The API is still settling, and we'd rather say that out
loud than pretend otherwise. This page explains what that means for you in
practice, and why we've set things up this way.

## The short version

While we're on `0.y.z`, **breaking changes ship in the minor**, not the major.
Everything else - new features, bug fixes, performance work - ships in the
patch.

```
0.9.0 → 0.9.1 safe bug fix or new feature
0.9.1 → 0.9.2 safe bug fix or new feature
0.9.2 → 0.10.0 break read the changelog before you upgrade
```

Each package in the repo (`openworkflow`, `@openworkflow/cli`, the dashboard)
is versioned independently. A breaking change in the CLI bumps the CLI's minor;
it doesn't force a bump elsewhere.

## Upgrading safely

The good news: npm's default behavior already does the right thing. `^0.9.0` in
your `package.json` resolves to `>=0.9.0 <0.10.0`. You will **not** silently
pick up a breaking `0.10.0` during a routine `npm install`. You have to opt in.

## Why we do it this way

We want one honest signal in the version number, and we want to stay free to fix
design mistakes while the project is young. Those two goals pull in opposite
directions under strict semver - going to 1.0 would lock us in, staying on 0.x
without a convention would give you no way to tell a safe upgrade from a risky
one.

The 0.y.z-breaks-in-minor convention is the common compromise for semver. Cargo
formalizes this exact rule for the Rust ecosystem, and React Native runs the
same policy and has for years. We're in good company.

Starting at 1.0 instead would be the dishonest option. Projects that do it
usually end up either cranking through majors (`2.0`, `3.0`, `4.0` in a year,
which makes the major meaningless) or quietly breaking things inside minors
(which makes semver meaningless). We'd rather be upfront about where we are.

FWIW this is a solid counter-argument and worth reading if you're making this
call in your own project: [Jon Skeet on starting at 1.0
instead](https://codeblog.jonskeet.uk/2019/10/20/why-i-dont-start-versions-at-0-x-any-more/).

## When we'll hit 1.0

1.0 is a gate, not a timeline. We'll ship it when:

- The workflow, step, and worker APIs have stayed shape-stable across two
consecutive minor releases.
- The backend interface is stable enough that you could write your own backend
without reading our source.

After 1.0, changes will follow standard semver.
1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions packages/openworkflow/README.md
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- [Core Concepts](https://openworkflow.dev/docs/overview)
- [Advanced Patterns](https://openworkflow.dev/docs/advanced-patterns)
- [Production Checklist](https://openworkflow.dev/docs/production)
- [Releases](https://openworkflow.dev/docs/releases)

## Architecture

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