It is strongly recommended to establish a consistent version numbering pattern at the beginning of a project and avoid changing it once the project is active.

Changing the version number pattern in a non-empty project can have significant effects on how versions are associated with item records. While in some cases the change may be safe (particularly if precautions are taken, such as using Uncontrolled fields for related version fields), several risks need to be considered:

• Items with Introduced in version or Obsolete in version (or their implications) may be impacted.

• If the new version pattern alters the relative ordering of versions (e.g., changing how past versions are sequenced), it can cause wide-reaching issues. In some cases, these issues may only be resolved by a database change.

For this reason, we recommend defining a clear and sustainable version numbering pattern before versions are created in your project.

 
If you need flexibility after versions have been created, the safest approach is to keep the underlying version number pattern unchanged and rename versions in Release settings after they are created. Renaming changes only the display label of a version, without altering how it is internally associated with item records. See here for more information regarding pattern for version names.