Multiversion options¶

Listing new versions¶

The settings TAGS and BRANCHES in conf.py defines which versions are supported:

• BRANCHES: List of git branches, separated by a comma. For example, BRANCHES= ['master'] builds docs for the master branch.

• TAGS: List of git tags, separated by a comma. For example, TAGS = ['3.22.0', '3.21.0'] builds docs for the tags 3.22.0 and 3.21.0.

The setting LATEST_VERSION in conf.py defines which branch or tag is considered the latest. This is used to redirect users to the latest version of the docs automatically once they open the main project URL.

For example, if you want to build docs for the tags 3.22.0 and 3.21.0, master branch, the configuration file conf.py should look like this:

TAGS = ['3.22.0', '3.21.0']
BRANCHES = ['master']
LATEST_VERSION = '3.22.0'

The extension allows configuring additional settings. To know more about them, refer to sphinx-multiversion documentation.

Defining a stable URL¶

We encourage every project to rename the latest version output directory to stable. The purpose is to have default documentation links that do not change, which is beneficial for SEO purposes and referencing docs on other websites.

You can override the latest version output directory via the configuration file conf.py with the setting smv_rename_latest_version:

smv_latest_version = LATEST_VERSION  # Use the branch/tag name
smv_rename_latest_version = 'stable' # Use the commit hash

Defining unstable versions¶

Suppose you want to build docs for a version of the software you have not released yet (e.g. master). In this case, you can mark the version as unstable in the conf.py file.

BRANCHES = ['master']
UNSTABLE_VERSIONS = ['master']

By doing so, the warning message that appears at the top of the page will change to:

You are viewing documentation for an unstable version of <PROJECT_NAME>. Switch to the latest stable version.

Defining deprecated versions¶

Suppose you want to build docs for a version of the software you don’t support anymore. In this case, you can mark the version as deprecated in the conf.py file.

TAGS = ['3.2.0']
DEPRECATED_VERSIONS = ['3.2.0']

By doing so, the warning message that appears at the top of the page will change to:

You are viewing documentation for a deprecated version of <PROJECT_NAME>. Switch to the latest stable version.

Previewing local changes with multiversion¶

The multiversion feature is primarily designed to generate production builds and is extensively used in CI pipelines.

To preview the latest local changes, the make preview command is recommended over the multiversion feature.

However, if you still need to preview the latest local changes with the multiversion feature enabled, follow these steps:

1. Open conf.py and set smv_remote_whitelist to None:

   smv_remote_whitelist = None
   

2. In the same file, add your current branch’s name to the BRANCHES list and set it as the latest version. For example:

   BRANCHES = ["my-local-branch"]
   LATEST_VERSION = "my-local-branch"
   

3. Run the command make multiversionpreview.

Previewing production builds¶

To preview production builds locally:

1. Create a temporal folder and move to it:

   mktemp
   cd <PATH_TO_TEMP_FOLDER>
   

2. Clone the repository you wish to preview, along with all its branches and tags, into the temporary folder:

   git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git
   cd repository
   git branch -r | grep -v '\->' | while read remote; do git branch --track "${remote#origin/}" "$remote"; done
   git fetch --all
   

   Note

   If the repository is a personal fork, you need to synchronize all branches listed in the conf.py file with the upstream repository first. For more information, see Sync Fork.

3. Run the command make multiversionpreview.

4. Open http://0.0.0.0:5500/ with your preferred browser.

5. Once you are finished, remember to delete the temporary folder.

Disabling multiversion support¶

To disable multiversion support:

1. Set the settings smv_tag_whitelist and smv_branch_whitelist in conf.py to None.

   smv_tag_whitelist = None
   smv_branch_whitelist = None
   

   or:

   TAGS = []
   smv_tag_whitelist = multiversion_regex_builder(TAGS)
   BRANCHES = []
   smv_branch_whitelist = multiversion_regex_builder(BRANCHES)
   

2. On .github/workflows/pages.yml, change the command make multiversion for make dirhtml.