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Semver Laravel Package
composer/semver
A standalone PHP library for parsing, validating, and comparing semantic version numbers and constraints, extracted from Composer. It normalizes versions, handles stability flags and branches, and powers dependency version checks. Requires PHP 5.3.2+.
Semantic versioning utilities with the addition of version constraints parsing and checking.
Frequently asked questions about Semver
- What is composer/semver used for in Laravel applications?
- It is a standalone PHP library for parsing, normalizing, validating, and comparing semantic version strings and constraints. Laravel applications use it directly for version checks or indirectly through Composer dependency resolution. It does not provide a Laravel service provider, config publishing, or migrations.
- How do I install composer/semver in a Laravel project?
- Install it with composer require composer/semver, preferably with a ^3.5 constraint so Composer can pick up 3.5.1. No Laravel service provider, config file, or migration is needed. Many Laravel projects already receive it transitively through Composer.
- Does composer/semver support Laravel 10 or Laravel 11?
- composer/semver is framework-agnostic and is not tied to a specific Laravel version. It works wherever Composer and your supported PHP runtime are available, so Laravel compatibility is determined by PHP platform requirements and dependency constraints. Check your composer.lock and any packages that pin composer/semver below 3.5.1.
- How can I validate a user-supplied version string with composer/semver?
- Use Composer\Semver\VersionParser::isValid() to check whether a version string is valid. For constraints, call parseConstraints() and handle exceptions for invalid input. This is useful for admin forms, plugin compatibility fields, and config values that accept version numbers.
- How do I check if a version satisfies a constraint using composer/semver?
- Use Composer\Semver\Semver::satisfies($version, $constraints) for constraint checks, or Comparator methods such as greaterThan for direct comparisons. Normalize user input first when your application accepts version strings. Wrap parsing and constraint evaluation in try/catch so invalid input does not break the request.
- What changed in composer/semver 3.5.1 for Intervals::isSubsetOf?
- Version 3.5.1 corrects Intervals::isSubsetOf() for the < 0.0.0 edge case. A constraint of < 0.0.0 now correctly matches nothing and is therefore a subset of any constraint. This is a patch release with no API surface change, but it can change assertions in code that relied on the previous incorrect false result.
- Should I require composer/semver directly or rely on the transitive dependency?
- Require it directly with a ^3.5 constraint only if your application code uses VersionParser, Intervals, CompilingMatcher, or related classes. Otherwise, update it transitively through Composer and review the composer.lock diff. A direct constraint helps ensure 3.5.1 is installed when your code depends on the corrected subset behavior.
- How do I test version constraint edge cases in a Laravel app?
- Add unit tests for valid and invalid versions, dev/alpha/beta/RC constraints, and degenerate constraints such as < 0.0.0. Include tests for every Intervals::isSubsetOf() caller because 3.5.1 changes that result from false to true for < 0.0.0. Run your Laravel test suite and dependency-resolution checks after updating.
- Is composer/semver safe for production use in Laravel?
- Yes, it is an upstream-maintained Composer library with low integration effort and no Laravel-specific configuration. Treat 3.5.1 as a patch update, but re-verify code that asserts on subset checks for degenerate constraints. Monitor upstream patch releases because constraint parsing and subset behavior can affect version-gating and compatibility tooling.
- What are alternatives to composer/semver for version comparison in PHP?
- PHP's native version_compare is suitable for simple comparisons, and other SemVer libraries exist for stricter semantic versioning. composer/semver is the natural choice when your Laravel app needs to match Composer-style constraint syntax and normalization. It is not a fully strict SemVer implementation because it is constrained by version_compare and backward compatibility.
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