How can I compare arbitrary version numbers?

Question

Does anyone have code to compare two version numbers in JavaScript? I just want simple version comparisons (e.g. \"1.0\" vs \"1.5.6\"), and it shou

Answer 1

npm uses a nice syntax to compare versions and you can get the same module here: https://github.com/isaacs/node-semver

The following range styles are supported:

• 1.2.3 A specific version. When nothing else will do. Note that build metadata is still ignored, so 1.2.3+build2012 will satisfy this range.
• >1.2.3 Greater than a specific version.
• <1.2.3 Less than a specific version. If there is no prerelease tag on the version range, then no prerelease version will be allowed either, even though these are technically "less than".
• >=1.2.3 Greater than or equal to. Note that prerelease versions are NOT equal to their "normal" equivalents, so 1.2.3-beta will not satisfy this range, but 2.3.0-beta will.
• <=1.2.3 Less than or equal to. In this case, prerelease versions ARE allowed, so 1.2.3-beta would satisfy.
• 1.2.3 - 2.3.4 := >=1.2.3 <=2.3.4
• ~1.2.3 := >=1.2.3-0 <1.3.0-0 "Reasonably close to 1.2.3". When using tilde operators, prerelease versions are supported as well, but a prerelease of the next significant digit will NOT be satisfactory, so 1.3.0-beta will not satisfy ~1.2.3.
• ^1.2.3 := >=1.2.3-0 <2.0.0-0 "Compatible with 1.2.3". When using caret operators, anything from the specified version (including prerelease) will be supported up to, but not including, the next major version (or its prereleases). 1.5.1 will satisfy ^1.2.3, while 1.2.2 and 2.0.0-beta will not.
• ^0.1.3 := >=0.1.3-0 <0.2.0-0 "Compatible with 0.1.3". 0.x.x versions are special: the first non-zero component indicates potentially breaking changes, meaning the caret operator matches any version with the same first non-zero component starting at the specified version.
• ^0.0.2 := =0.0.2 "Only the version 0.0.2 is considered compatible"
• ~1.2 := >=1.2.0-0 <1.3.0-0 "Any version starting with 1.2"
• ^1.2 := >=1.2.0-0 <2.0.0-0 "Any version compatible with 1.2"
• 1.2.x := >=1.2.0-0 <1.3.0-0 "Any version starting with 1.2"
• ~1 := >=1.0.0-0 <2.0.0-0 "Any version starting with 1"
• ^1 := >=1.0.0-0 <2.0.0-0 "Any version compatible with 1"
• 1.x := >=1.0.0-0 <2.0.0-0 "Any version starting with 1"

Ranges can be joined with either a space (which implies "and") or a || (which implies "or").