I spent 15 years developing a tool to make sense of software version numbers

26 points by a1tern 20 hours ago

Over 15 years ago, I had a strange idea: what if software version numbers weren’t just arbitrary labels, but followed deeper patterns - almost like coordinates in a space?

I noticed some hidden rules behind how version numbers evolve, and that led me to build something I call CodeCompath: a tool for generating and visualizing software versions based on those rules. It’s a quiet project, not flashy - but to me, it represents a long, slow unfolding of an idea I couldn’t let go of.

Here’s a short demo: https://youtu.be/leL6y5uHXEg

And here’s a longer explanation if you're curious about the thought process: https://youtu.be/8R0HMyHwm-c

I know this is a niche topic, but I’ve put a lot of myself into it over the years. If you’re someone who cares about versioning, patterns, or systems thinking - I’d love to hear your thoughts.