Semantic Version Impact Assessment
Intent
Derive correct semantic version changes per component/library from observed impact and change intent, ensuring releases are immutable and traceable.
When to Use
- •Any time a component/library changes and may be released
- •Before tagging, releasing, or deploying
- •When reviewing change sets for release readiness
Precondition Failure Signal
- •Version bumps are arbitrary or inconsistent
- •Conventional commit semantics are ignored or misapplied
- •Breaking changes ship under minor/patch versions
- •Components that did not change are version-bumped unnecessarily
Postcondition Success Signal
- •Each impacted component/library has a justified version bump
- •Unchanged components do not receive a new version
- •Version decisions align with change intent and observable impact
- •Release notes can be derived from the version decision
Process
- •Source Review: Inspect the impact set and all commit messages since the last release for each impacted component.
- •Implementation: Calculate the appropriate semantic version bump based on the nature of the changes (breaking, feature, fix).
- •Verification: Verify that the calculated version correctly reflects the impact on the component's public contract.
- •Documentation: Document the proposed version bumps and the rationale for each.
- •Review: Tech Lead and Platform Engineer review the version bump calculations.
Example Test / Validation
- •Given a change set, identify impacted components and derive version bumps
- •Verify breaking changes trigger major version increments
- •Verify patch/minor are used appropriately for fixes/features
- •Confirm unchanged components remain at current versions
Common Red Flags / Guardrail Violations
- •“Just bump minor to be safe”
- •Bundling multiple components into one version decision without need
- •Downgrading breaking changes to avoid major bump
- •Skipping impact analysis and relying on assumptions
Recommended Review Personas
- •Tech Lead – validates semantic correctness and consistency
- •Release/Platform Engineer – validates traceability and component scoping
- •Domain Expert – validates whether change is breaking in practice
Skill Priority
P2 – Consistency & Governance
Conflict Resolution Rules
- •Must consume incremental-change-impact output
- •Correctness of version semantics overrides convenience
- •If breaking status is ambiguous, escalate and document decision
Conceptual Dependencies
- •incremental-change-impact
Classification
Governance
Notes
Version numbers are contracts. Treat them as part of the public surface area.