(From ChatGPT)
In software development, alpha, beta, and rc (release candidate) are stages of a pre-release cycle that indicate the progress and stability of a version. Here’s the difference between them:
1. Alpha
- Purpose: Early testing and internal feedback.
- Stability: Highly unstable. It’s the first stage of the release process, and the software is still under heavy development.
- Features: Many features may be incomplete or in progress. New features are likely to be added or significantly changed.
- Audience: Typically intended for internal teams or select testers who can handle breaking changes and provide early feedback.
- Versioning:
11.0.0-alpha.1,11.0.0-alpha.2, etc.
2. Beta
- Purpose: More refined testing for a broader audience.
- Stability: More stable than alpha but still potentially has bugs. All major features are usually complete, but bug fixes and improvements are ongoing.
- Features: The focus is on fixing issues and optimizing the user experience rather than adding new features.
- Audience: Wider group of testers, including external users, who can provide feedback on usability, performance, and bug reports.
- Versioning:
11.0.0-beta.1,11.0.0-beta.2, etc.
3. RC (Release Candidate)
- Purpose: Final testing before a stable release.
- Stability: Near-stable and ready for release, barring any major last-minute issues.
- Features: No new features are added at this stage. It’s focused on fixing critical bugs and ensuring the release is production-ready.
- Audience: Aimed at a broader audience to catch any remaining critical issues before the official stable release.
- Versioning:
11.0.0-rc.1,11.0.0-rc.2, etc.
Progression
- Alpha: Experimental and incomplete.
- Beta: Feature complete, but needs more testing.
- RC: Almost ready for general release; final polish and bug fixes.
Once the release candidate is stable and no major issues are found, it progresses to a stable version like 11.0.0.