How to Version a Go Module with Semantic Versioning

Version a Go module by adding a retract directive to your go.mod file and publishing a new version with the updated file.

1. Add a retract directive to your go.mod file specifying the versions to retract.

retract v1.0.0

2. Increment your version number in go.mod to the next semantic version.

module example.com/myapp

go 1.21

retract v1.0.0

3. Commit the changes and create a new git tag matching the new version.

git add go.mod
git commit -m "Retract v1.0.0 and release v1.0.1"
git tag v1.0.1
git push origin v1.0.1

4. Verify the retraction is visible on the module proxy.

go list -m -versions example.com/myapp

Semantic versioning in Go means you label your code releases with numbers like 1.0.1 to show what changed. When you make a mistake in a release, you don't delete it; instead, you tell the system to ignore that specific version by adding a note in your project file. It's like putting a "Do Not Use" sticker on a specific batch of products while keeping the rest on the shelf.