Software release
A software release is to create a new version of the system or program and release it to the user community. Each time a software system or program is changed, the programmers and company doing the work decide how to distribute the changes or the changed system or program to those people using it.
Software is usually versioned meaning that each version of the software has a unique identifying number. This number is typically three sets of digits separated by periods or dots such as Release 2.1.5 or something similar. This numbering scheme usually denotes the major release number, the minor release number, and the version number. There is sometimes a fourth, hidden number which denotes the software build number. The purpose of this numbering scheme is to allow the software development organization to better track issues and fixes within the field population and to allow the customer service arm of the organization to know which issues have been discovered and/or fixed in which releases of the software.
The size of the changes in the software from one release to the next is used to determine which of the numbers should change. For a major jump in functionality, the major release number will change. For a smaller jump in functionality, only the minor release number will change. Version numbers would normally change with maintenance releases in which defects are addressed without any noticable increase in functionality.
See also software maintenance.
A software patch is a method of distributing the changes. It is either a program that modifies the original unchanged system or program to create the new one or a list of instructions for a person who follows them to create a new one.
