Pre Build EXE and Installer Set Version

Question

So this topic comes up relatively often so I thought I'd make a new thread showing an example of how to make it work.  The problem is developers want a way to set the version of builds programmatically.  Luckily NI added some VIs for doing this.  Too bad you can't invoke them from the Pre-Build action of a build, because that information is read before the pre-build.  Here is an idea exchange discussing it.
But I figured I could come with some kind of work around and I have two, and neither is perfect.  Attached is a simple project.  It contains a VI that runs reading the EXE version that it is running from once it is in an EXE.  The project has three build specifications, an EXE, and two installers.  The developer can set the Major, Minor, and Fix of the EXE, but the build version is set programmatically in the Pre-Build action.  The version of the installers will also be set to the version of the EXE.
Attempt to build the EXE and a dialog will appear asking to enter the build version that should be used.  This could be determined some other way but this was the easiest for the demo.  If the EXE, and the Installers are already the correct version, where the build is the same as the one specified, and the installers are the same version as the EXE, then the build goes on like normal.  But if the build you enter is not the same as the current, it will abort the current build, change the versions, and then tell the operator to attempt to build again.  This time no prompt is seen and the build will work like normal with the version you set earlier.
The downside to this method is you have to tell the developer to build again, I figured I could do that programmatically so I tried.  There is a constant on the BD of Prebuild Action VI.vi, and if it is set to True it will try to invoke a new build on its own.  The problem with this method is the build the user invoked is aborted and the user sees the error.  But the second build might have worked fine, but there isn't any feedback.
In any case this is a sorta working way of setting EXE and Installer build versions from a pre-build VI.
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Attachments:
Test EXE Version.zip ‏80 KB

Answer 1

Bob_Schor wrote:
I took your idea and "simplified" it a little
Some may want the simplified version I understand.  But for me I wanted a more robust VI, one that would work if a project had multiple build specifications of applications, or multiple installers.  Some developers may have two applications one that is normal, and another with debugging turned on and I wanted the versioning to work consistently there by grabbing the newest version and using it.  And in all my cases, if there is an installer it should be the same version as the EXE.
As for the getting around the error I think if I had enought time I could dig into the NI VIs to get rid of the error and show the progress of the new build.  The whole build process is a bunch of VIs, that augment the right click menus in the project so the source is there it is just taking time to understand it.
Unofficial Forum Rules and Guidelines - Hooovahh - LabVIEW Overlord
If 10 out of 10 experts in any field say something is bad, you should probably take their opinion seriously.