Hyphen Range (A - B) — Inclusive Version Ranges

Hyphen Range Syntax

The hyphen range provides a clean, human-readable way to specify an inclusive range of versions.

Basic Syntax

A - B

translates to >=A <=B.

Examples

Hyphen Range	Expanded
1.2.3 - 2.3.4	>=1.2.3 <=2.3.4
0.0.0 - 1.0.0	>=0.0.0 <=1.0.0
1.0.0 - 1.5.0	>=1.0.0 <=1.5.0

Partial Versions in Hyphen Ranges

When either side is a partial version, the behavior changes:

Partial on the low side — missing pieces are treated as 0:

• 1.2 - 2.3.4 → >=1.2.0 <=2.3.4
• 1 - 2.3.4 → >=1.0.0 <=2.3.4

Partial on the high side — the range is exclusive of the next increment:

• 1.2.3 - 2.3 → >=1.2.3 <2.4.0 (not <=2.3.0)
• 1.2.3 - 2 → >=1.2.3 <3.0.0 (not <=2.0.0)

This asymmetry exists because a partial high version like 2.3 means "any version in the 2.3.x line," which is more naturally expressed as <2.4.0.

When to Use Hyphen Ranges

Hyphen ranges are especially readable for:

• Migration guides: "This tool works with versions 2.0.0 - 3.0.0"
• Compatibility matrices in documentation
• Peer dependencies with a known working range

{
  "peerDependencies": {
    "react": "16.8.0 - 18.99.99"
  }
}