Placing version number in EXE

[Gary Beene]

I've done some looking but haven't found a description of how version numbers/build numbers are handled in EXE's.

When programs look inside an EXE to get a version number, how did the version number get placed there in the first place?

I've seen resource file examples with version information, but is that the same as the EXE version number?

Can someone clarify how this works?

[Michael Mattias]

It's done with a program resource.

example

//  FILENAME.RC 

#include "resource.h"

#define COPYRIGHT_SYMBOL "\251"
#define REGISTERED_SYMBOL "\256"
#define TRADEMARK_SYMBOL  "\231"


#define VERSION_MAJOR   1
#define VERSION_MINOR   2
#define VERSION_BUILD   0
#define VERSION_LITERAL   "1.2.0\0"
#define VERSION_DATE      "August 12 2008\0"
#define VERSION_DESC      "Control Orbiter Monitor\0"
#define VERSION_COPYRIGHT "\251 2008 Michael C. Mattias Racine WI\0"
#define VERSION_TRADEMARK "None\0"
....

// STANDARD VERSION RESOURCE

VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION      VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, 0, VERSION_BUILD
PRODUCTVERSION   VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, 0, VERSION_BUILD
FILEOS VOS_WINDOWS32
FILETYPE VFT_APP
//* VFT_DLL FOR DLLs
BEGIN
  BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
  BEGIN
    BLOCK "040904E4"
    BEGIN
      VALUE "CompanyName",      "Tal Systems Inc.\0"
      VALUE "FileDescription",  VERSION_DESC
      VALUE "FileVersion",      VERSION_LITERAL
      VALUE "InternalName",     "ptmncom\0"
      VALUE "OriginalFilename", "ptmncom\0"
      VALUE "LegalCopyright",   VERSION_COPYRIGHT
      VALUE "LegalTrademarks",  VERSION_TRADEMARK
      VALUE "ProductName",      "PTMNEDI\0"
      VALUE "ProductVersion",   VERSION_LITERAL
      VALUE "Comments",         "none\0"
      VALUE "Author",           "Michael Mattias Racine WI USA\0"
      VALUE "VersionDate",       VERSION_DATE
    END
  END
END

[Michael Mattias]

Oops, BTW...

FILEVERSION      VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, 0, VERSION_BUILD
PRODUCTVERSION   VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, 0, VERSION_BUILD

This is NOT Windows standard; this is:

FILEVERSION      VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, VERSION_BUILD, VERSION_SUBBUILD
PRODUCTVERSION   VERSION_MAJOR, VERSION_MINOR, VERSION_BUILD, VERSION_SUBBUILD

i.e,

FILEVERSION      1, 2, 3, 4

Will display "1,2,3,4" when done "the Windows way" (eg via Explorer).

All my versions display "X.Y.0.Z" via Windows, but in my programs they display "X.Y.Z"

(Don't ask. And yes it's on "the list" for me to change. Some day.)

MCM

[Dominic Mitchell]

The version block Michael posted is incomplete. See my post in the following thread to see why.

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showthread.php?t=38441&highlight=StringFileInfo

[Michael Mattias]

>The version block Michael posted is incomplete

Right you are, caught me posting an old one... that VarfileInfo part I only added recently.

MCM