Product Version vs File Version

[JCO]

When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

[David Ching]

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

Product version is usually determined by Marketing, e.g. "you will call this
version of Visual Studio 10.0".

File version can be different for each file in the deliverable, for example
if a DLL is shared between multiple products, it could potentially have its
own numbering scheme.

I agree it's confusing and these should ideally be the same.

-- David

[David Webber]

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?

I have always understood that a 'product' might include an EXE and a number
of DLLs, and that a given version of the 'product' can be defined to contain
different versions of assorted DLLs.

Actually I make my EXE and all my DLLs have matching versions (via a common
header defining parameters used in the VERSIONINFO). And the product
version matches that. But of course the file version of MFC included in a
certain 'product version' doesn't match.

Dave

[Stephen Wolstenholme]

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

I update the product version with every release and the file version
if there is any change in the file format.

Steve

[JCO]

Isn't there a way to have the build number automatically increment?
Then I would just have to change the first number on a major release.

Post by Stephen Wolstenholme

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

I update the product version with every release and the file version
if there is any change in the file format.
Steve
--
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[Joseph M. Newcomer]

Suppose I have a file that the application writes. Generlaly, you think of a "product
version" as representing one format of the file. If you change the format of the file,
then it is a new product version. But within a product version, you might have "point
releases" such as 2.1, 2.2., 2.3, and so on. All of which read and write the same file
format. So in this case the product version is always 2. If you change the file format,
this becomes product version 3. Generally, when you add new features, you change the
product version, but the file version represents an actual release. Add a new feature,
and you should feel entitled to change the product version. Even if the file format is
the same. But if you find a bug in version 3.1, and fix it, then the file version would
be 3.2, but since it represents the same feature set as the 3.1 release, it just becomes a
new "file version". Usually, the file version major version and the product version major
version are the same, only because of tradition.
joe

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

Joseph M. Newcomer [MVP]
email: ***@flounder.com
Web: http://www.flounder.com
MVP Tips: http://www.flounder.com/mvp_tips.htm

[JCO]

Understood!

Post by Joseph M. Newcomer
Suppose I have a file that the application writes. Generlaly, you think of a "product
version" as representing one format of the file. If you change the format of the file,
then it is a new product version. But within a product version, you might have "point
releases" such as 2.1, 2.2., 2.3, and so on. All of which read and write the same file
format. So in this case the product version is always 2. If you change the file format,
this becomes product version 3. Generally, when you add new features, you change the
product version, but the file version represents an actual release. Add a new feature,
and you should feel entitled to change the product version. Even if the file format is
the same. But if you find a bug in version 3.1, and fix it, then the file version would
be 3.2, but since it represents the same feature set as the 3.1 release, it just becomes a
new "file version". Usually, the file version major version and the product version major
version are the same, only because of tradition.
joe

Post by JCO
When setting these values, what exactly is the difference between the two?
What's an example where they would be different?
Thanks

Joseph M. Newcomer [MVP]
Web: http://www.flounder.com
MVP Tips: http://www.flounder.com/mvp_tips.htm

[m***@rnrbpo.com]

Hello,
This is Manish Diware, I am facing one issue. I want to put Product version and file version say product version as 1.18 and file version as 1.18.5.2 so is it possible, if so then from where can I do this because I tried from project properties also from "assemblyinfo.cs" but it shows file version and product version same - (1.18.5.2 in property of EXE file in details tab).