Use BEFORE creating a release tag: would the version that HEAD declares reuse a label that already names other code in the tags? Exit 1 means do not tag; bump the version first. Returns exit 0, 1 or 2 and the JSON report. Exit 2 is not a pass: nothing was decided, and output says why (no label found, a file not read, a tag not compared). Read-only: it runs git reads only, on the local repository, with no network.

Use to audit the whole tag history: does each version label name exactly one code state? For a single release about to be tagged, use would_tag. With one release only, the answer is not decided (exit 2). Returns exit 0, 1 or 2 and the JSON report. Exit 2 is not a pass: nothing was decided, and output says why (no label found, a file not read, a tag not compared). Read-only: it runs git reads only, on the local repository, with no network.

Use after check_versions reports drift: lists, for one label, the paths that differ between the first tag that used it and each other tag that did. For two references you choose, use compare. Returns exit 0, 1 or 2 and the JSON report. Exit 2 is not a pass: nothing was decided, and output says why (no label found, a file not read, a tag not compared). Read-only: it runs git reads only, on the local repository, with no network.

Use to compare any two tags or commits you name: their version labels, closures and the paths that differ. Publication points play no part. Exit 1 when both declare one label and the code differs. Returns exit 0, 1 or 2 and the JSON report. Exit 2 is not a pass: nothing was decided, and output says why (no label found, a file not read, a tag not compared). Read-only: it runs git reads only, on the local repository, with no network.