# Dynamic development versioning in the OpenAstronomy package template

**URL:** <https://community.openastronomy.org/t/dynamic-development-versioning-in-the-openastronomy-package-template/885>\
**Category:** OpenAstronomy\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [January 24, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.openastronomy.org/t/dynamic-development-versioning-in-the-openastronomy-package-template/885 "2024-01-24T17:45:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dshupe](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/community.openastronomy.org/dshupe/32/55_2.png) [@dshupe](https://community.openastronomy.org/u/dshupe)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.openastronomy.org/t/dynamic-development-versioning-in-the-openastronomy-package-template/885/1 "2024-01-24T17:45:59Z")

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I used the [package template](https://github.com/OpenAstronomy/packaging-guide) for my new package and chose the Dynamic Development Versioning option. I noticed after I did a second “pip install -e .” that the “\_version.py” file in my package changed. I read that this is just a backup for non-development installations. It still feels odd to me. My question is, should I commit these changes to “\_version.py” when they occur, or should I add this file to “.gitignore”?

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**Author:** ![nabobalis](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/community.openastronomy.org/nabobalis/32/14_2.png) [@nabobalis](https://community.openastronomy.org/u/nabobalis)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.openastronomy.org/t/dynamic-development-versioning-in-the-openastronomy-package-template/885/2 "2024-01-24T18:00:14Z")

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Someone who wrote the package template should chime in.

For sunpy, where we have the same system, that file is in the gitignore as its dynamically created.