releases.json Breaking Change

releases.json is a family of files (and schema) that the .NET Team publishes to enable programatic access to the catalog of .NET releases.

We are making some targeted changes to these files, primarily to reduce user confusion, in response to consistent and broad feedback.

We are making three primary changes, ordered from most to least breaking:

• Replace the lts and current value with active, in the support-phase property.
• Replace the rc value with go-live in the in the support-phase property.
• Document the allowable values for support-phase.
• Add a new release-type property, with immutable values of lts or sts, as appropriate. standard stands for Standard Support and replaces the Current terminology to describe a release.

Timing

The change will be made in two phases:

• The release-type property will be added via Add new release labels #7499.
• The support-phase property for .NET 7 will transition from rc to active on November 8th. Previously, this would have been current.

Context

"Current" releases will now be referred to as "Standard Term Support" releases, in obvious contrast to "Long Term Support (LTS)" releases. The duration of the support periods and related policies are not changing.

The "Current" term will no longer be used.

See .NET Release Labels for more information.