<h3><a name="File_release_numbers">File release numbers</a></h3>
<p>We are trying to keep a consistent numbering scheme on our file releases,
-so everybody can figure out what we have released by just looking at the release number.
-However, some of our older releases do not follow this scheme.</p>
+so everybody can figure out what we have released by just looking at the
+release number. Unfortunately the original 4-number version numbering didn't
+work as well as we thought and caused a lot of confusion. So WinMerge 2.13.x
+and later use new 3-number version numbers:</p>
+
+<pre>
+2.14.2
+| | |
+| | |
+| | |
+| | `--------- Denotes a beta release, an experimental release
+| | or a minor bug fix of a major release.
+| | For experimental and stable releases this number increases by
+| | one. For beta releases we may increase few numbers more.
+| `----------- Denotes a major release.
+| even numbers means "stable".
+| odd numbers means "unstable".
+`------------- Denotes a major release with major changes.
+</pre>
+
+<p>In this case:</p>
+<ul>
+ <li>The next experimental release will have the number 2.15.1 (and then
+ 2.15.2 and then 2.15.3 and so on)</li>
+ <li>The next beta release will likely have the number 2.15.10 or 2.15.20</li>
+ <li>The next major release will have the number 2.16.0</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>And if we decide to rewrite most of the code, the next major release will
+have the number 3.0.0. This is something big like cross-platform support, 3-way
+merge etc.</p>
+
+<p>WinMerge 2.12.x and earlier releases used a four-number version numbers:
<pre>
2.1.2.0
`------------- Denotes a major release with major changes.
</pre>
-<p>In this case:</p>
-<ul>
- <li>The next experimental release will have the number 2.1.3.0 (and then 2.1.3.1 and then 2.1.3.2 and so on)</li>
- <li>The next beta release will have the number 2.1.4.0</li>
- <li>The next major release will have the number 2.2.0.0</li>
-</ul>
-<p>And if we decide to rewrite most of the code, the next major release will have the number 3.0.0.0</p>
-
<h3><a name="Packaging_file_releases">Packaging file releases</a></h3>
<p>On SourceForge there is some space to enter Release Notes and Change Notes.