Determine assembly version during a post-build event

Question

Let\'s say I wanted to create a static text file which ships with each release. I want the file to be updated with the version number of the release (as specified in A

Answer 1

If you prefer scripting these methods might also work for you:

If you are using the post-build event, you can use the filever.exe tool to grab it out of the already built assembly:

for /F "tokens=4" %%F in ('filever.exe /B /A /D bin\debug\myapp.exe') do (
  set VERSION=%%F
)
echo The version is %VERSION%

Get filever.exe from here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913111

If you are using the pre-build event, you can take it out of the AssemblyInfo.cs file as follows:

set ASMINFO=Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs
FINDSTR /C:"[assembly: AssemblyVersion(" %ASMINFO% | sed.exe "s/\[assembly: AssemblyVersion(\"/SET CURRENT_VERSION=/g;s/\")\]//g;s/\.\*//g" >SetCurrVer.cmd
CALL SetCurrVer.cmd
DEL SetCurrVer.cmd
echo Current version is %CURRENT_VERSION%

This uses the unix command line tool sed, which you can download from many places, such as here: http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/ - iirc that one works ok.

Answer 2

I looked for the same feature and i found the solution on MSDN. https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/de-DE/e9485c92-98e7-4874-9310-720957fea677/assembly-version-in-post-build-event?forum=msbuild

$(ApplicationVersion) did the Job for me.

Edit:

Okay I just saw the Problem $(ApplicationVersion) is not from AssemblyInfo.cs, its the PublishVersion defined in the project Properties. It still does the job for me in a simple way. So maybe someone needs it too.

Another Solution:

You can call a PowerShell script on PostBuild, here you can read the AssemblyVersion directly from your Assembly. I call the script with the TargetDir as Parameter

PostBuild Command:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted $(ProjectDir)\somescript.ps1 -TargetDir $(TargetDir)

PowerShell Script:

param(
    [string]$TargetDir
)

$Version = (Get-Command ${TargetDir}Example.exe).FileVersionInfo.FileVersion

This way you will get the Version from the AssemblyInfo.cs

Answer 3

As a workaround I've written a managed console application which takes the target as a parameter, and returns the version number.

I'm still interested to hear a simpler solution - but I'm posting this in case anyone else finds it useful.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Reflection;

namespace Version
{
    class GetVersion
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            if (args.Length == 0 || args.Length > 1) { ShowUsage(); return; }

            string target = args[0];

            string path = Path.IsPathRooted(target) 
                                ? target 
                                : Path.GetDirectoryName(Process.GetCurrentProcess().MainModule.FileName) + Path.DirectorySeparatorChar + target;

            Console.Write( Assembly.LoadFile(path).GetName().Version.ToString(2) );
        }

        static void ShowUsage()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Usage: version.exe <target>");
        }
    }
}

Answer 4

This answer is a minor modification of the answer of Brent Arias. His PostBuildMacro worked quite well for me until a version update of Nuget.exe.

In the recent releases, Nuget trims non significant parts of the package version number in order to obtain a semantic version like "1.2.3". For example, the assembly version "1.2.3.0" is formatted by Nuget.exe "1.2.3". And "1.2.3.1" is formatted "1.2.3.1" as expected.

As I need to infer the exact package filename generated by Nuget.exe, I use now this adaptated macro (tested in VS2015):

<Target Name="PostBuildMacros">
  <GetAssemblyIdentity AssemblyFiles="$(TargetPath)">
    <Output TaskParameter="Assemblies" ItemName="Targets" />
  </GetAssemblyIdentity>
  <ItemGroup>
    <VersionNumber Include="$([System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex]::Replace(&quot;%(Targets.Version)&quot;, &quot;^(.+?)(\.0+)$&quot;, &quot;$1&quot;))" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Target>
<PropertyGroup>
  <PostBuildEventDependsOn>
    $(PostBuildEventDependsOn);
    PostBuildMacros;
  </PostBuildEventDependsOn>    
  <PostBuildEvent>echo HELLO, THE ASSEMBLY VERSION IS: @(VersionNumber)</PostBuildEvent>
</PropertyGroup>

UPDATE 2017-05-24: I corrected the regex in this way: "1.2.0.0" will be translated to "1.2.0" and not "1.2" as previously coded.

---

And to answer to a comment of Ehryk Apr, you can adapt the regex to keep only some part of the version number. As an example to keep "Major.Minor", replace:

<VersionNumber Include="$([System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex]::Replace(&quot;%(Targets.Version)&quot;, &quot;^(.+?)(\.0+)$&quot;, &quot;$1&quot;))" />

By

<VersionNumber Include="$([System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex]::Replace(&quot;%(Targets.Version)&quot;, &quot;^([^\.]+)\.([^\.]+)(.*)$&quot;, &quot;$1.$2&quot;))" />

Answer 5

If (1) you don't want to download or create a custom executable that retrieves the assembly version and (2) you don't mind editing the Visual Studio project file, then there is a simple solution that allows you to use a macro which looks like this:

@(Targets->'%(Version)')

@(VersionNumber)

To accomplish this, unload your project. If the project somewhere defines a <PostBuildEvent> property, cut it from the project and save it elsewhere temporarily (notepad?). Then at the very end of the project, just before the end-tag, place this:

<Target Name="PostBuildMacros">
  <GetAssemblyIdentity AssemblyFiles="$(TargetPath)">
    <Output TaskParameter="Assemblies" ItemName="Targets" />
  </GetAssemblyIdentity>
  <ItemGroup>
    <VersionNumber Include="@(Targets->'%(Version)')"/>
  </ItemGroup>
</Target>
<PropertyGroup>
  <PostBuildEventDependsOn>
    $(PostBuildEventDependsOn);
    PostBuildMacros;
  </PostBuildEventDependsOn>    
  <PostBuildEvent>echo HELLO, THE ASSEMBLY VERSION IS: @(VersionNumber)</PostBuildEvent>
</PropertyGroup>

This snippet has an example <PostBuildEvent> already in it. No worries, you can reset it to your real post-build event after you have re-loaded the project.

Now as promised, the assembly version is available to your post build event with this macro:

@(VersionNumber)

Done!

Answer 6

From that what I understand...

You need a generator for post build events.

1. Step: Writing a Generator

/*
* Author: Amen RA
* # Timestamp: 2013.01.24_02:08:03-UTC-ANKH
* Licence: General Public License
*/
using System;
using System.IO;

namespace AppCast
{
    class Program
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // We are using two parameters.

            // The first one is the path of a build exe, i.e.: C:\pathto\nin\release\myapp.exe
            string exePath = args[0];

            // The second one is for a file we are going to generate with that information
            string castPath = args[1];

            // Now we use the methods below
            WriteAppCastFile(castPath, VersionInfo(exePath));
        }


        public static string VersionInfo(string filePath)
        {
            System.Diagnostics.FileVersionInfo myFileVersionInfo = System.Diagnostics.FileVersionInfo.GetVersionInfo(filePath);
            return myFileVersionInfo.FileVersion;
        }


        public static void WriteAppCastFile(string castPath, string exeVersion)
        {
            TextWriter tw = new StreamWriter(castPath);
            tw.WriteLine(@"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""?>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"<item>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"<title>MyApp - New version! Release " + exeVersion + " is available.</title>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"<version>" + exeVersion + "</version>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"<url>http://www.example.com/pathto/updates/MyApp.exe</url>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"<changelog>http://www.example.com/pathto/updates/MyApp_release_notes.html</changelog>");
            tw.WriteLine(@"</item>");
            tw.Close();
        }
    }
}

2. Step: Using it as a post build command in our IDE

After the application is running satisfyingly for you:

In your development IDE, use the following command line for post build events.

C:\Projects\pathto\bin\Release\AppCast.exe "C:\Projects\pathto\bin\Release\MyApp.exe" "c:\pathto\www.example.com\root\pathto\updates\AppCast.xml"