+#### JALVIEW_VERSION and the RELEASE file
+Any Jalview build will include the value of JALVIEW_VERSION in various places, including the 'About' and Jalview Desktop window title, and in filenames for the stand-alone executable jar. You can specify a custom version for a build via the JALVIEW_VERSION property, but for most situations, JALVIEW_VERSION will be automatically configured according to the value of the CHANNEL property, using the `jalview.version` property specified in the RELEASE file:
+ - `CHANNEL=RELEASE` will set version to jalview.version
+ - `CHANNEL=TEST or DEVELOP` will append '-test' or '-develop' to jalview.version
+
+It is also possible to specify a custom location for the RELEASE file via an optional JALVIEW_RELEASE_FILE property.
+