diff --git a/src/commands/inc/major.ts b/src/commands/inc/major.ts
index 238a094..90b7d4c 100644
--- a/src/commands/inc/major.ts
+++ b/src/commands/inc/major.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Arguments } from "../../../deps/yargs.ts";
-import { format } from "../../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { increment, IncrementKind } from "../../util/increment.ts";
 import {
   printVersion,
@@ -25,8 +24,8 @@ export const major = {
     await writeVersionFile(current);
     await postVersionHook(
       args,
-      format(previous),
-      format(current),
+      previous,
+      current,
     );
     await printVersion(args, current);
   },
diff --git a/src/commands/inc/minor.ts b/src/commands/inc/minor.ts
index c385ae5..898e5ba 100644
--- a/src/commands/inc/minor.ts
+++ b/src/commands/inc/minor.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Arguments } from "../../../deps/yargs.ts";
-import { format } from "../../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { increment, IncrementKind } from "../../util/increment.ts";
 import {
   printVersion,
@@ -25,8 +24,8 @@ export const minor = {
     await writeVersionFile(current);
     await postVersionHook(
       args,
-      format(previous),
-      format(current),
+      previous,
+      current,
     );
     await printVersion(args, current);
   },
diff --git a/src/commands/inc/none.ts b/src/commands/inc/none.ts
index 4ded9bb..c68fe91 100644
--- a/src/commands/inc/none.ts
+++ b/src/commands/inc/none.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Arguments } from "../../../deps/yargs.ts";
-import { format } from "../../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { increment, IncrementKind } from "../../util/increment.ts";
 import {
   printVersion,
@@ -25,8 +24,8 @@ export const none = {
     await writeVersionFile(current);
     await postVersionHook(
       args,
-      format(previous),
-      format(current),
+      previous,
+      current,
     );
     await printVersion(args, current);
   },
diff --git a/src/commands/inc/patch.ts b/src/commands/inc/patch.ts
index 500c36e..12c6c9f 100644
--- a/src/commands/inc/patch.ts
+++ b/src/commands/inc/patch.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Arguments } from "../../../deps/yargs.ts";
-import { format } from "../../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { increment, IncrementKind } from "../../util/increment.ts";
 import {
   printVersion,
@@ -25,8 +24,8 @@ export const patch = {
     await writeVersionFile(current);
     await postVersionHook(
       args,
-      format(previous),
-      format(current),
+      previous,
+      current,
     );
     await printVersion(args, current);
   },
diff --git a/src/commands/set.test.ts b/src/commands/set.test.ts
index ab37e60..4e1552b 100644
--- a/src/commands/set.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/set.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { Arguments } from "../../deps/yargs.ts";
 import { set } from "./set.ts";
 import { testContext } from "../util/testContext.ts";
 import { IContext } from "../context.ts";
+import { parse } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 
 describe("set", () => {
   const hooks = {
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ describe("set", () => {
       assertSpyCall(ctx1.patch, 0, {
         args: [
           "src/test.csproj",
-          "1.2.3",
+          parse("1.2.3"),
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ describe("set", () => {
       assertSpyCall(ctx1.patch, 0, {
         args: [
           "src/test.csproj",
-          "1.0.0",
+          parse("1.0.0"),
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -227,8 +228,8 @@ describe("set", () => {
       assertSpyCall(ctx1.replace, 0, {
         args: [
           "src/info.ts",
-          "1.0.0",
-          "1.2.3",
+          parse("1.0.0"),
+          parse("1.2.3"),
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -251,8 +252,8 @@ describe("set", () => {
       assertSpyCall(ctx1.replace, 0, {
         args: [
           "src/info.ts",
-          "1.0.0",
-          "1.0.0",
+          parse("1.0.0"),
+          parse("1.0.0"),
         ],
       });
     });
diff --git a/src/commands/set.ts b/src/commands/set.ts
index 770fcf2..007f1a6 100644
--- a/src/commands/set.ts
+++ b/src/commands/set.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Arguments, YargsInstance } from "../../deps/yargs.ts";
-import { format } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { parse } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { increment, IncrementKind } from "../util/increment.ts";
 import {
@@ -37,8 +36,8 @@ export const set = {
     await writeVersionFile(current);
     await postVersionHook(
       args,
-      format(previous),
-      format(current),
+      previous,
+      current,
     );
     await printVersion(args, current);
   },
diff --git a/src/context.ts b/src/context.ts
index e31992c..281c2ea 100644
--- a/src/context.ts
+++ b/src/context.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,25 @@
+import { SemVer } from "../deps/semver.ts";
 import { patch, regexp, replace } from "./hooks/mod.ts";
-import { VariantKey } from "./util/variant.ts";
+import { FormatKind } from "./util/variant.ts";
 
 export interface IContext {
   output?: string;
   config?: string;
   githubDir: string;
   hooks: {
-    patch: (file: string, version: string) => Promise<void>;
+    patch: (file: string, current: SemVer) => Promise<void>;
     replace: (
       file: string,
-      previous: string,
-      current: string,
+      previous: SemVer,
+      current: SemVer,
     ) => Promise<void>;
     regexp: (
       file: string,
-      current: string,
+      current: SemVer,
       pattern: string,
       flags?: string,
-      variant?: VariantKey,
+      format?: FormatKind,
+      prefix?: string,
     ) => Promise<void>;
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/hooks.interfaces.ts b/src/hooks/hooks.interfaces.ts
index 9382b23..fd7c9c9 100644
--- a/src/hooks/hooks.interfaces.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/hooks.interfaces.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { VariantKey } from "../util/variant.ts";
+import { FormatKind } from "../util/variant.ts";
 
 export enum PostHookKind {
   Replace = "replace",
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ export type RegExpPostHook = {
   file: string;
   pattern: string;
   flags?: string;
-  variant?: VariantKey;
+  format?: FormatKind;
+  prefix?: string;
 };
 
 export type PostHook =
diff --git a/src/hooks/patch.ts b/src/hooks/patch.ts
index 3cc37b9..db650cb 100644
--- a/src/hooks/patch.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/patch.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ import { path } from "../../deps/std.ts";
 import { Node, xml } from "../../deps/xml.ts";
 import { JSONC } from "../../deps/jsonc.ts";
 import { UnsupportedFileKindError } from "../errors/mod.ts";
-import { variants } from "../util/version.ts";
+import { semverFormats } from "../util/variant.ts";
 import { exists } from "../util/exists.ts";
+import { SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 
 export async function patch(
   file: string,
-  version: string,
+  version: SemVer,
 ) {
   console.log(`patching ${version} in ${file}`);
   const ext = path.extname(file);
@@ -26,8 +27,8 @@ export async function patch(
   }
 }
 
-async function patchCsproj(file: string, version: string) {
-  const { version_dotnet } = variants(version);
+async function patchCsproj(file: string, version: SemVer) {
+  const { dotnet } = semverFormats(version);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
   const document = xml.parse(contents, {
     captureSpacesBetweenElements: true,
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ async function patchCsproj(file: string, version: string) {
         if (property.type === "element" && property.name === "Version") {
           const value = property.elements[0];
           if (value.type === "text") {
-            value.text = version_dotnet;
+            value.text = dotnet;
             isVersionSet = true;
             break;
           }
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ async function patchCsproj(file: string, version: string) {
   await Deno.writeTextFile(file, updated);
 }
 
-async function patchPomXml(file: string, version: string) {
+async function patchPomXml(file: string, version: SemVer) {
+  const { def } = semverFormats(version);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
   const document = xml.parse(contents, {
     captureSpacesBetweenElements: true,
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ async function patchPomXml(file: string, version: string) {
     } else if (el.type === "element" && el.name === "version") {
       const value = el.elements[0];
       if (value.type === "text") {
-        value.text = version;
+        value.text = def;
         isVersionSet = true;
         break;
       }
@@ -113,23 +115,25 @@ async function patchPomXml(file: string, version: string) {
   await Deno.writeTextFile(file, updated);
 }
 
-async function patchPackageJson(file: string, version: string) {
+async function patchPackageJson(file: string, version: SemVer) {
+  const { def } = semverFormats(version);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
-  const edits = JSONC.modify(contents, ["version"], version, {});
+  const edits = JSONC.modify(contents, ["version"], def, {});
   const result = JSONC.applyEdits(contents, edits);
   await Deno.writeTextFile(file, result);
 }
 
-async function patchPackageLockJson(packageJsonPath: string, version: string) {
+async function patchPackageLockJson(packageJsonPath: string, version: SemVer) {
+  const { def } = semverFormats(version);
   const dir = path.dirname(packageJsonPath);
   const packageLockJsonPath = path.resolve(dir, "package-lock.json");
   if (await exists(packageLockJsonPath)) {
     const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(packageLockJsonPath);
-    const versionEdits = JSONC.modify(contents, ["version"], version, {});
+    const versionEdits = JSONC.modify(contents, ["version"], def, {});
     const moduleVersionEdits = JSONC.modify(
       contents,
       ["packages", "", "version"],
-      version,
+      def,
       {},
     );
     const edits = [...versionEdits, ...moduleVersionEdits];
@@ -138,11 +142,12 @@ async function patchPackageLockJson(packageJsonPath: string, version: string) {
   }
 }
 
-async function patchChartYaml(file: string, version: string) {
+async function patchChartYaml(file: string, version: SemVer) {
+  const { def } = semverFormats(version);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
   const result = contents.replace(
     /^version:\s*(.*)$/m,
-    `version: ${version}`,
+    `version: ${def}`,
   );
   await Deno.writeTextFile(file, result);
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/post.test.ts b/src/hooks/post.test.ts
index 108c9cb..0f01e6d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/post.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/post.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { parse } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { resolvesNext, stub } from "../../deps/std.ts";
 import { YAML } from "../../deps/yaml.ts";
 import { IContext } from "../context.ts";
@@ -34,5 +35,5 @@ Deno.test("yml or yaml", async () => {
   );
   stub(context.hooks, "patch");
   stub(context.hooks, "replace");
-  await postVersionHook(context, "1.0.0", "1.2.3");
+  await postVersionHook(context, parse("1.0.0"), parse("1.2.3"));
 });
diff --git a/src/hooks/post.ts b/src/hooks/post.ts
index fb8bb68..9ded12b 100644
--- a/src/hooks/post.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/post.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { HookError } from "../errors/mod.ts";
 import { exists } from "../util/exists.ts";
 import { PostHookKind, VersionConfig } from "./hooks.interfaces.ts";
 import { IContext } from "../context.ts";
+import { SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 
 // Post hooks are a set of per-repo configurable actions that can be taken
 // after the version is updated.
@@ -12,8 +13,8 @@ import { IContext } from "../context.ts";
 // See ../.github/version.yml for an example.
 export async function postVersionHook(
   context: IContext,
-  previous: string,
-  current: string,
+  previous: SemVer,
+  current: SemVer,
 ) {
   const versionConfig = await getVersionConfig(context);
   if (versionConfig) {
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ export async function postVersionHook(
             current,
             hook.pattern,
             hook.flags,
-            hook.variant,
+            hook.format,
+            hook.prefix,
           );
           break;
         default:
diff --git a/src/hooks/regexp.ts b/src/hooks/regexp.ts
index f53803f..fd11a16 100644
--- a/src/hooks/regexp.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/regexp.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
-import { variantByKey } from "../util/version.ts";
-import { VariantKey } from "../util/variant.ts";
+import { SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
+import { FormatKind, semverFormatByKey } from "../util/variant.ts";
 
 export async function regexp(
   file: string,
-  current: string,
+  current: SemVer,
   pattern: string,
   flags?: string,
-  variant?: VariantKey,
+  format?: FormatKind,
+  prefix?: string,
 ) {
   const regexp = new RegExp(pattern, flags);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
   const match = contents.match(regexp);
-  const applicableVersion = variantByKey(current, variant);
+  const applicableVersion = semverFormatByKey(current, prefix, format);
   console.log(
     `replacing [${match?.[0] || ""}] -> ${applicableVersion} in ${file}`,
   );
diff --git a/src/hooks/replace.ts b/src/hooks/replace.ts
index 019f36c..5c579b7 100644
--- a/src/hooks/replace.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/replace.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
+import { format, SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
+
 export async function replace(
   file: string,
-  previous: string,
-  current: string,
+  previous: SemVer,
+  current: SemVer,
 ) {
   console.log(`replacing ${previous} -> ${current} in ${file}`);
   const contents = await Deno.readTextFile(file);
-  const updated = contents.replaceAll(previous, current);
+  const previousString = format(previous);
+  const currentString = format(current);
+  const updated = contents.replaceAll(previousString, currentString);
   await Deno.writeTextFile(file, updated);
 }
diff --git a/src/util/variant.ts b/src/util/variant.ts
index 0bce872..e396633 100644
--- a/src/util/variant.ts
+++ b/src/util/variant.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
-export enum VariantKey {
-  Default = "version_default",
-  Dotnet = "version_dotnet",
-  Docker = "version_docker",
+import { format, SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
+
+export enum FormatKind {
+  Default = "def",
+  Dotnet = "dotnet",
+  Docker = "docker",
+  Major = "major",
+}
+
+export function semverFormats(semver: SemVer, prefix = "") {
+  const formattedVersion = format(semver);
+  const kebabVersion = formattedVersion.replace(/[+]/g, "-");
+  const cleanedPrefix = prefix.trim();
+  return {
+    def: `${cleanedPrefix}${formattedVersion}`,
+    dotnet: `${cleanedPrefix}${kebabVersion}`,
+    docker: `${cleanedPrefix}${kebabVersion}`,
+    major: `${cleanedPrefix}${semver.major}`,
+  };
+}
+
+export function semverFormatByKey(
+  semver: SemVer,
+  prefix = "",
+  variantKey: FormatKind = FormatKind.Default,
+) {
+  return semverFormats(semver, prefix)[variantKey];
 }
diff --git a/src/util/version.test.ts b/src/util/version.test.ts
index c8dc11b..db3d0ac 100644
--- a/src/util/version.test.ts
+++ b/src/util/version.test.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ Deno.test({
     const appendTextFile = stub(
       Deno,
       "writeTextFile",
-      resolvesNext(new Array(9)),
+      resolvesNext(new Array(10)),
     );
     try {
       const version = parse("1.2.3-pre.0+1");
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ Deno.test({
       assertSpyCall(appendTextFile, 1, {
         args: [
           "/test/output",
-          "major=1\n",
+          "sv_major=1\n",
           { create: true, append: true },
         ],
       });
@@ -201,21 +201,21 @@ Deno.test({
       assertSpyCall(appendTextFile, 6, {
         args: [
           "/test/output",
-          "version_default=1.2.3-pre.0+1\n",
+          "def=1.2.3-pre.0+1\n",
           { create: true, append: true },
         ],
       });
       assertSpyCall(appendTextFile, 7, {
         args: [
           "/test/output",
-          "version_dotnet=1.2.3-pre.0-1\n",
+          "dotnet=1.2.3-pre.0-1\n",
           { create: true, append: true },
         ],
       });
       assertSpyCall(appendTextFile, 8, {
         args: [
           "/test/output",
-          "version_docker=1.2.3-pre.0-1\n",
+          "docker=1.2.3-pre.0-1\n",
           { create: true, append: true },
         ],
       });
diff --git a/src/util/version.ts b/src/util/version.ts
index 9a272a4..4496aa5 100644
--- a/src/util/version.ts
+++ b/src/util/version.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { path } from "../../deps/std.ts";
 import { format, parse, SemVer } from "../../deps/semver.ts";
 import { IContext } from "../context.ts";
-import { VariantKey } from "./variant.ts";
+import { semverFormats } from "./variant.ts";
 
 export const DEFAULT_VERSION = parse("0.1.0");
 
@@ -25,15 +25,17 @@ export async function printVersion(
   context: IContext,
   semver: SemVer,
   full = false,
+  prefix = "",
 ) {
   const formatted = format(semver);
-  const { major, minor, patch, prerelease, build } = semver;
-  const other = variants(formatted);
+  const sv_major = semver.major;
+  const { minor, patch, prerelease, build } = semver;
   const pre = prerelease.join(".");
   const b = build.join(".");
+  const other = semverFormats(semver, prefix);
   await writeGithubOutput(context, {
     version: formatted,
-    major,
+    sv_major,
     minor,
     patch,
     prerelease: pre,
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ export async function printVersion(
   if (full) {
     console.log(JSON.stringify({
       version: formatted,
-      major,
+      sv_major,
       minor,
       patch,
       prerelease: pre,
@@ -55,23 +57,6 @@ export async function printVersion(
   }
 }
 
-export function variants(version: string) {
-  const kabobBuild = version.replace(/[+]/g, "-");
-  // todo: add any other platform specific variants here.
-  return {
-    version_default: version,
-    version_dotnet: kabobBuild,
-    version_docker: kabobBuild,
-  };
-}
-
-export function variantByKey(
-  version: string,
-  variantKey: VariantKey = VariantKey.Default,
-) {
-  return variants(version)[variantKey];
-}
-
 /**
  * This reads the current version file found at $CWD/VERSION and parses it as a
  * valid SemVer. If the file is not found, is empty, or contains an invalid