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Version Lifecycle Example

This example shows how to manage versions throughout their complete lifecycle: from releasing a new version, marking it stable, deprecating older versions, and eventually archiving them.

Version States

A documentation version typically goes through these states:

StateBadgeDescription
UnreleasedinfoPre-release, beta, or release candidate
CurrentprimaryThe latest released version
StablesuccessThe recommended version for most users
DeprecatedwarningStill available but no longer maintained
Archived(removed)No longer available in documentation

Scenario: Releasing v3

Let’s walk through a typical scenario where you have v1 and v2, and you’re releasing v3.

Initial State (Before v3 Release)

// astro.config.mjs - Before v3 release
export default defineConfig({
  integrations: [
    shipyardDocs({
      versions: {
        current: 'v2',
        available: [
          { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0' },
          { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
        ],
        deprecated: ['v1'],
        stable: 'v2',
      },
    }),
  ],
})

Step 1: Add v3 as Unreleased

First, add v3 as a pre-release version while still developing it:

// astro.config.mjs - v3 in development
export default defineConfig({
  integrations: [
    shipyardDocs({
      versions: {
        current: 'v2',  // v2 is still the default
        available: [
          { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.0 (Beta)', banner: 'unreleased' },
          { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0' },
          { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
        ],
        deprecated: ['v1'],
        stable: 'v2',  // v2 is still stable
      },
    }),
  ],
})

Create the new version directory:

mkdir -p docs/v3
cp -r docs/v2/* docs/v3/

Update the content collection:

// src/content.config.ts
const docs = defineCollection(
  createVersionedDocsCollection('./docs', {
    versions: ['v1', 'v2', 'v3'],  // Add v3
    fallbackVersion: 'v2',
  }),
)

Step 2: Release v3 (Make it Current)

When v3 is ready for release:

// astro.config.mjs - v3 released
export default defineConfig({
  integrations: [
    shipyardDocs({
      versions: {
        current: 'v3',  // v3 is now current
        available: [
          { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.0' },  // Remove 'unreleased' banner
          { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0' },
          { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
        ],
        deprecated: ['v1'],
        stable: 'v3',  // v3 is now stable
      },
    }),
  ],
})

What changes:

  • Users visiting /docs/ are redirected to /docs/v3/
  • /docs/latest/ now points to v3
  • v3 shows the “Stable” badge

Step 3: Deprecate v2

After v3 has been stable for some time, deprecate v2:

// astro.config.mjs - v2 deprecated
export default defineConfig({
  integrations: [
    shipyardDocs({
      versions: {
        current: 'v3',
        available: [
          { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.0' },
          { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },  // Add banner
          { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
        ],
        deprecated: ['v1', 'v2'],  // Add v2 to deprecated list
        stable: 'v3',
      },
    }),
  ],
})

What changes:

  • v2 pages now show the deprecation warning banner
  • v2 shows the “Deprecated” badge
  • The banner includes a link to the same page in v3

Step 4: Archive v1

When a version is so old that it’s no longer useful, remove it entirely:

// astro.config.mjs - v1 archived
export default defineConfig({
  integrations: [
    shipyardDocs({
      versions: {
        current: 'v3',
        available: [
          { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.0' },
          { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
          // v1 removed from available
        ],
        deprecated: ['v2'],  // Remove v1 from deprecated
        stable: 'v3',
      },
    }),
  ],
})

Update the content collection:

// src/content.config.ts
const docs = defineCollection(
  createVersionedDocsCollection('./docs', {
    versions: ['v2', 'v3'],  // Remove v1
    fallbackVersion: 'v3',
  }),
)

Optionally archive the content:

# Archive v1 content (optional, for reference)
tar -czf archive/docs-v1.tar.gz docs/v1/
rm -rf docs/v1/

Full Configuration Timeline

Here’s how the configuration evolves over a typical version lifecycle:

Timeline

Time ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────>

v1:  [stable]────────[deprecated]──────────────────────[archived]
v2:           [unreleased]──[stable]───────[deprecated]───────────────>
v3:                              [unreleased]──[stable]───────────────>
v4:                                                 [unreleased]──────>

Configuration at Each Point

Point A: v2 is new

versions: {
  current: 'v1',
  available: [
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0 (Beta)', banner: 'unreleased' },
    { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0' },
  ],
  deprecated: [],
  stable: 'v1',
}

Point B: v2 released

versions: {
  current: 'v2',
  available: [
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0' },
    { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0' },
  ],
  deprecated: [],
  stable: 'v2',
}

Point C: v1 deprecated

versions: {
  current: 'v2',
  available: [
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0' },
    { version: 'v1', label: 'Version 1.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
  ],
  deprecated: ['v1'],
  stable: 'v2',
}

Point D: v3 released, v1 archived

versions: {
  current: 'v3',
  available: [
    { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.0' },
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
  ],
  deprecated: ['v2'],
  stable: 'v3',
}

Best Practices

When to Deprecate

Deprecate a version when:

  • A newer version has been stable for at least one release cycle
  • The old version no longer receives security updates
  • You want to encourage users to migrate

When to Archive

Archive a version when:

  • Less than 5% of traffic goes to that version
  • The version is more than 2-3 major versions behind
  • Maintaining the content is no longer worthwhile
  • You’ve provided enough time for users to migrate

Deprecation Period

A typical deprecation timeline:

  1. Announce deprecation in release notes when the new version ships
  2. Add deprecation banner 1-2 months after the new version is stable
  3. Archive 6-12 months after deprecation (depending on your release cycle)

Communicating Changes

  • Use the banner property to show clear warnings on deprecated versions
  • Update the label to include status (e.g., “Version 1.0 (Legacy)”)
  • Add migration guides linking from deprecated to current version
  • Consider blog posts or changelogs for major version transitions

Handling Edge Cases

Release Candidates

For pre-release versions:

{ version: 'v3-rc', label: 'Version 3.0 RC1', path: 'v3-rc', banner: 'unreleased' }

LTS (Long-Term Support) Versions

For LTS versions that receive extended support:

{
  current: 'v4',
  available: [
    { version: 'v4', label: 'Version 4.0' },
    { version: 'v3-lts', label: 'Version 3.0 LTS', path: 'v3-lts' },
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.0', banner: 'unmaintained' },
  ],
  deprecated: ['v2'],
  stable: 'v4',  // or 'v3-lts' if LTS is recommended for production
}

Parallel Major Versions

When maintaining two active major versions (e.g., Python 2/3 situation):

{
  current: 'v3',
  available: [
    { version: 'v3', label: 'Version 3.x' },
    { version: 'v2', label: 'Version 2.x' },  // No deprecation banner
  ],
  deprecated: [],
  stable: 'v3',  // Recommend v3 for new projects
}

Next Steps