Sort a List of Versions Using Semver Rules

Sorting Versions with Semver Rules

Sorting version strings alphabetically produces wrong results. Semver-aware sorting is required to get the correct order.

Why Lexicographic Sort Fails

Lexicographic Sort	Semver Sort
1.1.0	1.1.0
1.10.0	1.2.0
1.2.0	1.10.0
1.9.0	1.9.0
2.0.0	2.0.0

Lexicographic comparison treats version components as characters, so "10" comes before "2" (because '1' < '2'). Semver comparison treats them as integers, so 10 > 2.

The Correct Sorting Algorithm

To sort a list of semver versions:

1. Parse each string into (major, minor, patch, prerelease) tuples
2. Sort by major (integer), then minor (integer), then patch (integer)
3. Versions without pre-release come after same-numbered versions with pre-release
4. Pre-release versions are compared using the identifier comparison rules

Sorting Example

Given these versions in random order:

2.0.0, 1.0.0-alpha, 1.0.0, 1.0.0-rc.1, 0.9.0, 1.0.0-beta.2, 1.1.0

Correct semver sort (ascending):

0.9.0
1.0.0-alpha
1.0.0-beta.2
1.0.0-rc.1
1.0.0
1.1.0
2.0.0

Using Batch Check for Sorting

While the main sorting use case is handled in the Compare tab, you can also use Batch Check to paste a list of versions and see them evaluated against a range. This effectively filters and highlights which versions in your list fall within a desired range.

Practical Applications

Use Case	Example
Changelog ordering	Display releases newest-first
Latest version detection	Find the highest version in a list
Version range filtering	Show all versions matching ^1.0.0
Registry browsing	Sort published versions of a package
Rollback selection	Find the previous stable release

Handling Mixed Formats

When sorting versions from multiple sources, you may encounter mixed formats (v1.2.3, 1.2, 1.2.3.4). Coerce all strings to valid semver first, then sort. Versions that cannot be coerced should be placed separately to avoid incorrect ordering.