Like a Version
Why bother with versioning
There is a specific behavior that we try to tame. In the past, versions were created as new files, possibly with a version designation, E.g., V-1.0. Libraries or folders have become so cluttered with files that people who want to consult information are overloaded with versions. It is unclear which file is actually involved.
Versioning in M365
When Versioning is enabled in a list or library, you can store, track, and restore items in a list and files in a library whenever they change.
Combined with other settings, such as checkout, Versioning gives you control of the content posted on your site. You can also use Versioning to view or restore an old version of a list or library.
Note: In Microsoft 365, Versioning is turned on by default when you create a new library or list. It will automatically save the last 500 versions of a document. This will help you prevent losing important documents or data. If you have existing libraries or lists on your site or on your team site that does not have Versioning enabled, you can turn Versioning on for them at any time.
Like a Version
Created the very first time
Like a Version
Close a session with a minor one
Like a version
Consolidate, make a major one
Track history of a version
When Versioning is enabled, you can see when an item or file was changed and who changed it. You can also see when properties (information about the file) were changed.
Restore a previous version
If you made a mistake in a current version, if the current version is corrupt, or if you simply like a previous version better, you can replace the current version with a previous one. The restored version becomes the new current version.
View a previous version.
You can view a previous version without overwriting your current version. If you are viewing version history within a Microsoft Office document, such as a Word or Excel file, you can compare the two versions to determine what the differences are.
Major versions only
The only ranking is time. The highest version number (whole numbers only 1,2,3…) is usually the “accepted” reference.
Major and minor versions
Usually, a major version represents a milestone, such as a file submitted for review or publication. In contrast, a minor version is a work in progress that isn’t ready for all site participants to read. The file is still in a phase of tinkering, brainstorming, building up an idea.
Major versions are displayed with whole numbers, and for minor versions, the system generates decimal values. 0.1, 0.2, 1.6 etc.
When using minor and major versions, it’s good to clean up the minor versions when publishing a major one. That can be staged/ scripted like when accepting a version as a major version 2.0, you delete all the minor versions that lead to version 1.0. you only keep the minors from the last cycle to a primary version.