What does versioning indicate in software development?

Versioning in software development serves as a systematic method of tracking the history of changes made to a software application over time. When a software project is versioned, each release or update is labeled with a unique version number, typically following a structured format that might denote major releases, minor updates, and patches. This numbering enables developers and users to understand the progression and evolution of the software, including features that were added or bugs that were fixed in each version.

By maintaining a version history, teams can effectively manage updates, revert to previous versions if necessary, and communicate changes to users, which is crucial for maintaining software stability and user trust. This systematic approach helps in understanding what features were introduced or modified in each version, making it easier to track improvements or issues over time.