Environment: VC6
The problem…
I develop several multi-project applications and have always had trouble keeping up with all my changes.
Typically, I create several “release” builds while I am developing, so I can test as I go. Then I create a complete build of all modules for my clients. This is the only time I really care to increment the build number.
In the past I have created a separate resource file with my build number (similar to the Microsoft solution in the MSDN library). But whenever the resource file changes, visual studio doesn’t keep the changes to the .RC file.
So enter a better solution(?)…
This simple program will ready your workspace files and check all the projects it contains. Each project is checked for changes, since the last time it was run. If a project changes, then anything dependent on it will also be changed.
The picture above shows a workspace with 2 projects (Play1 & Play2). Play1 is dependent on Project2. One file changed (see the ‘**’ by Play2.cpp) in Pay2 (see the ‘**’ by Play2.dsp), so the build number was incremented for Play1 and Play2 (see the ‘**’ by both projects).
How it works…
When versions are incremented, a file is added with the name of the project file and the extension of “absVersion”. This file contains the last build number used and is dated with the date of the last build (this is used to check for changes).
Script segment from the Microsoft Developer Studio generated resource script:
//
// Version
//
VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION 1,0,0,8 <<— This will be incremented when
dependencies have changed.
PRODUCTVERSION 1,0,0,8 <<— This will be incremented when
dependencies have changed.
FILEFLAGSMASK 0x3fL
#ifdef _DEBUG
FILEFLAGS 0x1L
#else
FILEFLAGS 0x0L
#endif
FILEOS 0x4L
FILETYPE 0x1L
FILESUBTYPE 0x0L
BEGIN
BLOCK “StringFileInfo”
BEGIN
BLOCK “040904b0”
BEGIN
VALUE “Comments”, “\0”
VALUE “CompanyName”, “Automated Business Soultions, Inc.\0”
VALUE “FileDescription”, “absBuildIncrement MFC Application\0”
VALUE “FileVersion”, “1, 0, 0, 8\0” <<— This will be
incremented when dependencies have changed.
VALUE “InternalName”, “absBuildIncrement\0”
VALUE “LegalCopyright”, “Copyright (C) 2001\0”
VALUE “LegalTrademarks”, “\0”
VALUE “OriginalFilename”, “absBuildIncrement.EXE\0”
VALUE “PrivateBuild”, “\0”
VALUE “ProductName”, “absBuildIncrement Application\0”
VALUE “ProductVersion”, “1, 0, 0, 8\0” <<— This will be
incremented when dependencies have changed.
VALUE “SpecialBuild”, “\0”
END
END
BLOCK “VarFileInfo”
BEGIN
VALUE “Translation”, 0x409, 1200
END
END