Handling `YYYY.0M.0D` Versions

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Introduction

When working with versioning systems, it's essential to choose a format that suits your project's needs. In this case, we're using the CalVer (Calendar Versioning) format, which represents versions as YYYY.0M.0D. However, when generating wheels using cibuildwheel, the version ends up being represented as YYYY.0M.0D with leading zeroes in the month and day fields. This can lead to inconsistencies in the version representation. In this article, we'll explore ways to handle YYYY.0M.0D versions with cibuildwheel.

Understanding CalVer and SemVer

Before diving into the solution, let's briefly discuss CalVer and SemVer. CalVer represents versions as YYYY.0M.0D, where:

  • YYYY is the year
  • 0M is the month (with a leading zero)
  • 0D is the day (with a leading zero)

On the other hand, SemVer represents versions as MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, where:

  • MAJOR is the major version
  • MINOR is the minor version
  • PATCH is the patch version

SemVer has specific rules for version representation, including the absence of leading zeroes in the major, minor, and patch versions.

The Problem with cibuildwheel

When generating wheels using cibuildwheel, the version ends up being represented as YYYY.0M.0D with leading zeroes in the month and day fields. This can lead to inconsistencies in the version representation. For example, today's version is 2025.05.09, but when generating wheels, the version ends up being 2025.5.9.

Testing and Manual Workarounds

To test the issue, we performed the following steps:

  1. Unzipped the wheel
  2. Renamed the dist-info folder to reference 2025.05.09 rather than 2025.5.9
  3. Replaced the 2025.5.9 occurrences with 2025.05.09 in the METADATA and RECORD files
  4. Rezipped everything
  5. Renamed the wheel filename to include 2025.05.09 rather than 2025.5.9

However, upon installing the wheel, we still got the message Successfully installed libopencor-2025.5.9, while we were hoping to get Successfully installed libopencor-2025.05.09. This suggests that there's still an issue with the version representation.

Automating the Solution

Ideally, there would be a way to handle YYYY.0M.0D versions with cibuildwheel through some option. However, if that's not possible, we can automate the solution by creating a script that performs the following steps:

  1. Unzips the wheel
  2. Renames the dist-info folder to reference the correct version
  3. Replaces the incorrect version occurrences with the correct version in the METADATA and RECORD files
  4. Rezips everything
  5. Renames the wheel filename to include the correct version

This script can be run as part of the build process to ensure that the wheel is generated with the correct version representation.

Conclusion

Handling YYYY.0M.0D versions with cibuildwheel requires some manual workarounds or automation. While cibuildwheel supports SemVer, it doesn't seem to support CalVer out of the box. By understanding the differences between CalVer and SemVer, we can create a script to automate the solution and ensure that our wheels are generated with the correct version representation.

Future Improvements

To improve the solution, we can:

  1. Investigate whether cibuildwheel supports custom version formats
  2. Create a pull request to add support for CalVer to cibuildwheel
  3. Share the script with the community to help others who may face similar issues

By working together, we can make cibuildwheel more flexible and accommodating to different versioning formats.

References

  • CalVer
  • SemVer
  • cibuildwheel
    Handling YYYY.0M.0D versions with cibuildwheel: Q&A =====================================================

Q: What is CalVer and how does it differ from SemVer?

A: CalVer (Calendar Versioning) represents versions as YYYY.0M.0D, where YYYY is the year, 0M is the month (with a leading zero), and 0D is the day (with a leading zero). SemVer (Semantic Versioning), on the other hand, represents versions as MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, where MAJOR is the major version, MINOR is the minor version, and PATCH is the patch version.

Q: Why does cibuildwheel generate wheels with leading zeroes in the month and day fields?

A: cibuildwheel is designed to work with SemVer, which has specific rules for version representation, including the absence of leading zeroes in the major, minor, and patch versions. However, CalVer has a different format, which includes leading zeroes in the month and day fields.

Q: Can I use cibuildwheel with CalVer?

A: While cibuildwheel supports SemVer, it doesn't seem to support CalVer out of the box. However, you can automate the solution by creating a script that performs the necessary steps to generate wheels with the correct version representation.

Q: What are the necessary steps to automate the solution?

A: To automate the solution, you can create a script that:

  1. Unzips the wheel
  2. Renames the dist-info folder to reference the correct version
  3. Replaces the incorrect version occurrences with the correct version in the METADATA and RECORD files
  4. Rezips everything
  5. Renames the wheel filename to include the correct version

Q: Can I customize the version format in cibuildwheel?

A: Currently, cibuildwheel doesn't support custom version formats. However, you can create a pull request to add support for CalVer to cibuildwheel.

Q: How can I share the script with the community?

A: You can share the script on platforms like GitHub or GitLab, and provide instructions on how to use it. You can also share it with the cibuildwheel community on platforms like Reddit or Stack Overflow.

Q: What are the benefits of using CalVer?

A: CalVer has several benefits, including:

  • Simplified versioning: CalVer eliminates the need for complex versioning schemes, making it easier to manage versions.
  • Improved readability: CalVer makes it easier to read and understand version numbers.
  • Better compatibility: CalVer is compatible with many tools and platforms, making it a good choice for projects that require cross-platform compatibility.

Q: What are the limitations of using CalVer?

A: CalVer has several limitations, including:

  • Limited support: CalVer is not widely supported by tools and platforms, which can make it difficult to use in certain situations.
  • Complexity: CalVer can be more complex to implement and manage than SemVer, especially for large projects.

Q: Can I use CalVer with other tools and platforms?

A: Yes, CalVer can be used with other tools and platforms, including:

  • Git: CalVer can be used with Git to manage version numbers.
  • Jenkins: CalVer can be used with Jenkins to automate build and deployment processes.
  • Docker: CalVer can be used with Docker to manage container versions.

Q: How can I get started with CalVer?

A: To get started with CalVer, you can:

  • Read the CalVer documentation to learn more about the format and its benefits.
  • Experiment with CalVer in a small project to get a feel for how it works.
  • Join the CalVer community to connect with other developers who are using CalVer.