Release judgment mechanism・Two types of software releases, one for external and the other for internal
There are two types of software releases, one for external use and the other for internal use.
I introduced in the article of 4 mechanisms for release judgment that it is easy to understand if you think about the release judgment of software by dividing the line mechanism into 4 parts . By the way, software releases are roughly divided into external releases and internal releases, and among them, there are more detailed types of releases.
It is only the official release for external use that needs to be judged as a release, but in order to think so, it is necessary to sort out what types of releases are available for external and internal use. This article introduces the types of releases used by Father Gutara.
Types of external releases
First of all, the types of software releases for external use, but the names you often hear are the official version, trial version, evaluation version, trial version, function confirmation version, and beta version.
The official version doesn’t need any explanation. The software maker releases this to the world asking you to use it with confidence because it is official software, and usually you receive the usage fee and purchase price from the user as compensation .
The trial version is a release with restrictions on functions and usage period so that you can use it for a while before purchasing the official version . In terms of content, it has the same functions, performance, and quality as the official version, and there are many cases where the usage of some functions is restricted or the usage period is restricted by the mechanism of the software. It can be said that it is a release aimed at providing a lead for purchase that you should try it a little and buy it if you like it.
When you purchase the official version, you will be provided with a key to remove the restrictions, and if you use this, the restrictions on the trial version will be released and it will become the official version in many cases.
The evaluation version is software under development that has not yet been officially released, but the purpose is to have users actually touch it, evaluate its functions and performance, and receive feedback . There are times when all the features have not been completed or the performance has not been tuned yet, but the purpose is to collect feedback including such points and accelerate the final development to the official version. In the field of game software, the evaluation version is often called the beta version, which is like a release for actual users to try and make the final adjustments.
A trial version or a function confirmation version is a kind of evaluation version. Although it is not clearly defined, we will release it as a trial version when you want to evaluate the whole software, and a function confirmation version when you want to evaluate a specific function or performance.
Types of releases for internal use
What are the types of software releases for internal use? In-house is the release of software used in in- house software development work such as development / testing / maintenance . There are more types than those for external use, such as Pre-α, Nightly Build, α, β, Release Candidate, Release To Manufacturing, Golden Master, and General Availability.
Pre-α version is in the early stages of development, I have not been still all of the functions equipped, one function of the part is finally moving in the software, which was finished to such a level, that you check the behavior of certain features This is the intended release. The Pre-α version is also called Nightly Build because it is the version of the build work every night when the source code is converted to the executable program . However, the types of releases around here are often known only to those who have set foot in the mud of software development sites, so I think that ordinary people do not need to know much.
The α version is a software whose quality has improved a little compared to the Pre-α version, and it is a level of software that works stably to some extent for specific functions. This software is mainly released to the in-house development department and test department for the purpose of evaluating the specifications and responsiveness of specific functions in-house. On rare occasions, we release the alpha version to users to explore the reputation of new features, but most are internal releases.
The beta version is a software that has all the functions in the latter half of development and is in the process of being tuned for responsiveness and stability. It will be released to the in-house test department for the purpose of evaluating the finished condition and stability level of the function and performance of the software as a whole . Depending on the product, we may also release this beta version to users and get feedback from users to accelerate bug fixes and performance improvements.
The Release Candidate version is sometimes called the RC version by the acronym, but it is software that is in the final testing stage, which has reached the final stage of completion until it becomes the official version soon. If no new bugs are found in the ongoing tests, this RC version will be the official version. Therefore, the RC version is mainly released to the in-house test department, but in the case of development that entrusts the verification test to the user, the RC version may be released to the user.
If no bugs are found in the RC version test, the Release To Manufacturing version will be abbreviated as the RTM version, and it will be put into the manufacturing work to be installed in the product on the factory production line . The RTM version is sometimes called the Golden Master GM version because of the work method of installing the software that is a copy of the software as the master in the product .
The name of the release such as RTM version or GM-version is the type of software release for the production line at the factory, but if you want to upgrade the product that is already in operation on the market, you can use the original software via the Internet. It is often distributed. At this time, since it has nothing to do with the production line at the factory, the release names such as RTM version and GM version will not be suitable. In such a case, the name GA version is often used for short for General Availability version in the sense that anyone can use it (for a fee) .
Recently, the development method of providing software under development to users for evaluation has become widespread from the early stage of development, so what was previously an internal release is increasingly being provided to the outside as well. As a matter of fact, the boundary between internal and external is becoming a little blurry.
As a result, the types of software releases that the general public can see are increasing, and it is becoming a little difficult for people who are not familiar with software development to understand. The type of software release is also easy to understand if you go back to the original purpose of the release, so please remember this when you feel confused.