AI solution for Interview Question on BFE.dev
165. What is the different between '^1.2.3' and '~1.2.3' in package.json

In package.json, '^1.2.3' and '~1.2.3' are both used to specify a version range for a package dependency. However, there is a subtle difference between the two.

• '^1.2.3' means "any version in the 1.x.x range that is greater than or equal to 1.2.3 but less than 2.0.0". This is also known as the caret range specifier. It allows patch and minor updates, but not major updates.
• '~1.2.3' means "any version in the 1.2.x range that is greater than or equal to 1.2.3 but less than 1.3.0". This is also known as the tilde range specifier. It allows only patch updates.

In summary, the main difference between the two is the level of flexibility allowed for updates. The caret range specifier allows minor updates whereas the tilde range specifier allows only patch updates.