Module versioning and noVersioning

When to use this

You need to know whether to increment your module version when the public interface changes, or use --noVersioning during rapid development.

Prerequisites

• First run and Vision
• Concept: What is a Graft

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Default versioning behavior

When GG runs in project-bound mode (with a Project Key), each exposed module is registered in a virtual feed for that project.

Rules:

1. Same module + same version can run on many Gateway nodes — consumers use one Graft package.
2. Same version + changed public interface → registration fails (prevents silent contract drift).
3. Changed public contract → you must increment the module version (assembly version, package version, etc.).
4. Consumers refresh Grafts like normal packages when you publish a new version.

This matches how NuGet, npm, and other package managers expect immutability per version.

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When to bump version

Bump your module version when you:

• Add, remove, or rename public methods
• Change method signatures (parameters, return types)
• Expose new public types that appear in the Graft interface

You do not need to bump version for private/internal changes that do not affect the public surface analyzed into the UGM.

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--noVersioning mode

Use --noVersioning when you intentionally do not want version-based identity — for example local development without maintaining semver on every build.

./gg ./MyLib.dll --noVersioning --port 8888 --httpPort 8889

What happens:

• GG generates a hash (noVersioningHash) at startup
• The hash is appended to module identity in the Unified Graft Model
• Re-registering the same logical module gets a new identity when the hash or interface changes

Trade-offs:

• Simpler local iteration without bumping assembly version
• Less predictable for production CI/CD that expects semver
• Consumers may need to refresh Grafts when the hash changes

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Examples

# Production: use normal module versioning (default)
./gg ./MyLib.dll --projectKey "$GC_PROJECT_KEY" --port 8888

# Development: skip semver, use hash identity
./gg ./MyLib.dll --noVersioning --port 8888 --httpPort 8889

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Verify it works

• With default versioning: change a public method without bumping version → GG reports registration conflict
• With --noVersioning: module registers using hash suffix; check Vision for updated install identity

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Common mistakes

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See also

• Glossary supplement: noVersioning
• What happens when interfaces change
• Error handling and regeneration