core/src/main/java/io/fabric8/maven/core/util/VersionUtil.java
public static int compareVersions(String v1, String v2) {
        String[] components1 = split(v1);
        String[] components2 = split(v2);
        int diff;
        int length = Math.min(components1.length, components2.length);
        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
            String s1 = components1[i];
            String s2 = components2[i];
            Integer i1 = tryParseInteger(s1);
            Integer i2 = tryParseInteger(s2);
            if (i1 != null && i2 != null) {
                diff = i1.compareTo(i2);
            } else {
                // lets assume strings instead
                diff = s1.compareTo(s2);
            }
            if (diff != 0) {
                return diff;
            }
        }
        diff = Integer.compare(components1.length, components2.length);
        if (diff == 0) {
            if (v1 == v2) {
                return 0;
            }
            /* if v1 == null then v2 can't be null here (see 'if' above).
               So for v1 == null its always smaller than v2 */;
            return v1 != null ? v1.compareTo(v2) : -1;
        }
        return diff;
    }
public static int compareVersions(String v1, String v2) {
        String[] components1 = split(v1);
        String[] components2 = split(v2);
        int diff;
        int length = Math.min(components1.length, components2.length);
        for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
            String s1 = components1[i];
            String s2 = components2[i];
            Integer i1 = tryParseInteger(s1);
            Integer i2 = tryParseInteger(s2);
            if (i1 != null && i2 != null) {
                diff = i1.compareTo(i2);
            } else {
                // lets assume strings instead
                diff = s1.compareTo(s2);
            }
            if (diff != 0) {
                return diff;
            }
        }
        diff = Integer.compare(components1.length, components2.length);
        if (diff == 0) {
            if (v1 == v2) {
                return 0;
            }
            /* if v1 == null then v2 can't be null here (see 'if' above).
               So for v1 == null its always smaller than v2 */;
            return v1 != null ? v1.compareTo(v2) : -1;
        }
        return diff;
    }
Compares two version strings such that "1.10.1" > "1.4" etc