Release Glossary
Browse 7 release terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.
7 Release Terms
- Changelog
- A file documenting all notable changes to a project, organized by version. The responsible developer's diary. 'Keep a Changelog' (keepachangelog.com) is the...
- Code Freeze
- A period during which no new code changes are merged to the release branch — only critical bug fixes are allowed. Common before major releases, during holiday...
- Deployment
- The process of releasing and installing software to a target environment — development, staging, or production — making it available to users.
- Nightly Build
- An automated build produced from the latest source code every night (or continuously), containing bleeding-edge features and changes. Used by early adopters,...
- Release Candidate
- A software version that is potentially the final release, pending last-round testing. Labeled RC1, RC2, etc. In theory, no new features are added — only...
- Release Train
- A release management strategy where new versions ship on a fixed schedule (e.g., every 6 weeks) regardless of which features are ready. Features that aren't...
- Ship It
- The battle cry of startup culture: release the product to users rather than endlessly polishing it. Embodies the philosophy that imperfect software in users'...
Related Topics
- Ci/Cd (2 terms in common)
- Testing (2 terms in common)
- Process (2 terms in common)
- Version (1 terms in common)
- Operations (1 terms in common)
- Culture (1 terms in common)
- History (1 terms in common)
- Cadence (1 terms in common)
- Documentation (1 terms in common)
- Velocity (1 terms in common)
- Devops (1 terms in common)