Q:

How to create beta version of composer package?

I have package and need publish it on packagist repository. I am using git as VCS and currently my package installable through composer.
Sometimes in composer.json we can see something like that:
"version" : "1.0.0-beta2", or "dev-master".
But i don't know how i can create beta and dev version of my package?
I don't know where i can provide type of my library (beta and dev version). Also, i don`t understand why in first case version type -beta2 presents as suffix, and in the second case (dev-master) version type present as prefix.
Can anyone explain?
Thanks

A:

They're just tag names in your repository.
https://packagist.org/about

Tag/version names should match 'X.Y.Z', or 'vX.Y.Z', with an optional
  suffix for RC, beta, alpha or patch versions. Here are a few examples
  of valid tag names:
1.0.0
v1.0.0
1.10.5-RC1
v4.4.4beta2
v2.0.0-alpha
v2.0.4-p1

As for dev-master:

Branches will automatically appear as "dev" versions that are easily installable by anyone that wants to try your library's latest and greatest, but that does not mean you should not tag releases. The use of Semantic Versioning is strongly encouraged.

