# list(SORT): Add support for SEMVER comparison

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/list-sort-add-support-for-semver-comparison/11163
**Category:** Code
**Created:** [July 4, 2024, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/list-sort-add-support-for-semver-comparison/11163 "2024-07-04T10:41:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![hwhsu1231](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/hwhsu1231/32/5358_2.png) [@hwhsu1231](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hwhsu1231)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2024, 10:41am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/list-sort-add-support-for-semver-comparison/11163/1 "2024-07-04T10:41:16Z")

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Hello, CMake Team.

I hope that `list(SORT)` command can add support for `SEMVER` comparison.

Up to version v3.30, the [list(SORT)](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.30/command/list.html#ordering) command can use the following three comparison methods for sorting:

1. `STRING`: Sorts a list of strings alphabetically.
2. `FILE_BASENAME`: Sorts a list of pathnames of files by their basenames.
3. `NATURAL`: Sorts a list of strings using natural order (see `strverscmp(3)` manual).

Although the `NATURAL` option seems to be able to sort a list of version numbers, I found that it encounters problems when handling the order of release between pre-release. Let’s take CMake’s own version numbering as an example:

1. Before the releases of the new version `v3.29`, `v3.29.0-rc[n]` tags should be released first.
2. After the release candidates are finished, `v3.29.x` tags will be released next.

That means, `v3.29.0` should be sorted after `v3.29.0-rc[n]`.

However, after executing the following test code:

```cmake
set(TAG_LIST
    v3.29.6
    v3.29.5
    v3.29.4
    v3.29.3
    v3.29.2
    v3.29.1
    v3.29.0
    v3.29.0-rc4
    v3.29.0-rc3
    v3.29.0-rc2
    v3.29.0-rc1
)
set(BEFORE_TAG_LIST "${TAG_LIST}")
set(AFTER_TAG_LIST "${TAG_LIST}")
list(SORT AFTER_TAG_LIST COMPARE NATURAL ORDER DESCENDING)
message(STATUS "BEFORE_TAG_LIST = ${BEFORE_TAG_LIST}")
message(STATUS "AFTER_TAG_LIST = ${AFTER_TAG_LIST}")
if("${BEFORE_TAG_LIST}" STREQUAL "${AFTER_TAG_LIST}")
    message(STATUS "BEFORE and AFTER are the same.")
else()
    message(STATUS "BEFORE and AFTER are not the same.")
endif()

```

We can see that `COMPARE NATURAL` sorts `v3.29.0` before `v3.29.0-rc[n]`:

```bash
-- BEFORE_TAG_LIST = v3.29.6;v3.29.5;v3.29.4;v3.29.3;v3.29.2;v3.29.1;v3.29.0;v3.29.0-rc4;v3.29.0-rc3;v3.29.0-rc2;v3.29.0-rc1
-- AFTER_TAG_LIST = v3.29.6;v3.29.5;v3.29.4;v3.29.3;v3.29.2;v3.29.1;v3.29.0-rc4;v3.29.0-rc3;v3.29.0-rc2;v3.29.0-rc1;v3.29.0
-- BEFORE and AFTER are not the same.

```

If possible, I hope CMake can provide a new comparison method for the `list(SORT)` command that can sort based on [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/):

```cmake
list(SORT TAG_LIST COMPARE SEMVER)

```

Of course, it would be best if this `SEMVER` comparison method could support other types of semantic versioning formats as much as possible, not just CMake.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![hwhsu1231](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/hwhsu1231/32/5358_2.png) [@hwhsu1231](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/hwhsu1231)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/list-sort-add-support-for-semver-comparison/11163/2 "2024-07-10T04:59:50Z")

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Should I open an issue as a feature request for this topic?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![craig.scott](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/craig.scott/32/20_2.png) [@craig.scott](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/craig.scott)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/list-sort-add-support-for-semver-comparison/11163/3 "2024-07-10T21:56:59Z")

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I’ve seen discussion of version number support in the past, there may already be an open issue you can comment on further. Please search the issue tracker for existing issues before creating a new one for this topic.