* @return the parsed version, never {@code null}
     * @throws VersionParserException if the string violates the syntax rules of this scheme
     */
    @Nonnull
    Version parseVersion(@Nonnull String version);

    /**
     * Parses the specified version range specification, for example "[1.0,2.0)".
     *
     * @param range the range specification to parse, must not be {@code null}

            XMLStreamReader parser = new WstxInputFactory().createXMLStreamReader(is);
            if (parser.nextTag() == XMLStreamReader.START_ELEMENT
                    && parser.getLocalName().equals("project")) {
                for (int i = 0; i < parser.getAttributeCount(); i++) {
                    if ("root".equals(parser.getAttributeLocalName(i))) {

 The jar file is executable and provides a little tool to display how Maven parses and compares versions:

+----+
$ java -jar maven-artifact-*.jar 3.2.4-alpha-1 3.2.4-SNAPSHOT 3.2.4.0
Display parameters as parsed by Maven (in canonical form) and comparison result:
1. 3.2.4-alpha-1 == 3.2.4.alpha.1
   3.2.4-alpha-1 < 3.2.4-SNAPSHOT
2. 3.2.4-SNAPSHOT == 3.2.4.snapshot

     * @return The deserialized metadata, never {@code null}.
     * @throws IOException If the metadata could not be deserialized.
     * @throws MetadataParseException If the input format could not be parsed.
     */
    Metadata read(File input, Map<String, ?> options) throws IOException, MetadataParseException;

    /**

            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            throw new XmlWriterException("Unable to write model", e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Simply parse the given xml string.
     *
     * @param xml the input xml string
     * @return the parsed object
     * @throws XmlReaderException if an error occurs during the parsing
     * @see #toXmlString(Object)
     */

            throw new XmlWriterException("Unable to write model: " + getMessage(e), getLocation(e), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Simply parse the given xml string.
     *
     * @param xml the input xml string
     * @return the parsed object
     * @throws XmlReaderException if an error occurs during the parsing
     * @see #toXmlString(Object)
     */

                        }
                        return new Relocation(global, s, t);
                    })
                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
            LOGGER.info("Parsed {} user relocations", relocationList.size());
            return new Relocations(relocationList);
        }
    }

    private static Artifact parseArtifact(String coord) {
        Artifact s;

/**
 * Service interface to parse {@link Version} and {@link VersionRange}.
 *
 * @since 4.0.0
 */
@Experimental
public interface VersionParser extends Service {

    /**
     * Parses the specified version string, for example "1.0".
     *
     * @param version the version string to parse, must not be {@code null}
     * @return the parsed version, never {@code null}

            throw new XmlWriterException("Unable to write plugin: " + getMessage(e), getLocation(e), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Simply parse the given xml string.
     *
     * @param xml the input xml string
     * @return the parsed object
     * @throws XmlReaderException if an error occurs during the parsing
     * @see #toXmlString(Object)
     */

 * under the License.
 */
package org.apache.maven.api;

import org.apache.maven.api.annotations.Experimental;
import org.apache.maven.api.annotations.Nonnull;

/**
 * A version usually parsed using the {@link org.apache.maven.api.services.VersionParser} service.
 *
 * @since 4.0.0
 * @see org.apache.maven.api.services.VersionParser#parseVersion(String)
 * @see org.apache.maven.api.Session#parseVersion(String)
 */