> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zerv.wisl.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# zerv check

> Validate version strings against SemVer, PEP440, or auto-detected formats, with normalization feedback.

```bash theme={null}
zerv check [OPTIONS] <VERSION>
```

Validate that a version string conforms to a format. Without `--format`, zerv checks every
supported format and reports each match.

```bash theme={null}
# Check complex SemVer format validation
zerv check --format semver 1.0.0-rc.1.something.complex+something.complex
# → Version: 1.0.0-rc.1.something.complex+something.complex
#   ✓ Valid SemVer format (test case 1)

# Check PEP440 format validation with build metadata
zerv check --format pep440 1.0.0a2.post5.dev3+something.complex
# → Version: 1.0.0a2.post5.dev3+something.complex
#   ✓ Valid PEP440 format (test case 2)

# Check PEP440 format validation with normalization
zerv check --format pep440 1.0.0-alpha.2.post.5.dev.3+something.complex
# → Version: 1.0.0-alpha.2.post.5.dev.3+something.complex
#   ✓ Valid PEP440 format (normalized: 1.0.0a2.post5.dev3+something.complex) (test case 3)

# Invalid version handling (fails with exit code 1)
zerv check --format semver invalid
# → Error: Invalid version: invalid - Invalid SemVer format (test case 4)

# Auto-detect and validate multiple formats
zerv check 2.1.0-beta.1
# → Version: 2.1.0-beta.1
#   ✓ Valid PEP440 format (normalized: 2.1.0b1)
#   ✓ Valid SemVer format (test case 5)
```

## Options

| Option                  | Description                                                            |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `-f, --format <FORMAT>` | Validate against one format (`semver`, `pep440`); omit for auto-detect |

## Exit codes

* `0` - the version is valid in at least the requested (or any detected) format
* `1` - invalid: the string matches no requested/supported format

Use it as a CI guard for version strings produced elsewhere:

```bash theme={null}
zerv check "1.2.3-rc.2"
# Version: 1.2.3-rc.2
# ✓ Valid PEP440 format (normalized: 1.2.3rc2)
# ✓ Valid SemVer format
```