How can I increment version in project files for delphi projects.I am using Delphi 10 for win32 application development. I consists of bdsproj, dpr & res files for a project.
If you are using delphi to build your application, you can turn on auto-incrementation of buildnumber under projectsettings.
We use a self made utility to generate a version resource (rc-file) based on values in a ini-file. Then we compile the rc-file into a res-file, that we include in the project.
We use finalbuilder-scripts to automate the process. I know finalbuilder has its own support for versionnumbers, but we don't use it. I don't know why, though...
I previously used a program called StampVer, You will need to already have version information in the file to use StampVer. StampVer is Freeware but not Open Source.
The nice thing about stampver, is that it can auto-increment for you.
I use a proper build script tool FinalBuilder which has a set of property management commands which can set all items in a build to the same version. This gives me consistency of numbering across a build, and a whole load more too. If you don't have a proper build tool, and are still using batch files or equivalent, now is a good time to go look at the options. Well worth doing.
I use a program that manages the version number in a .ini file and generates a .res file in the pre-build event of the project. This .res file contains only the version, not the icon. The icon is contained in a separate .res file. Both are being included in the project's dpr file:
{$R *_version.res}
{$R *_icon.res}
Only the *__i_con.res file gets checked into source conntrol, the version, as said above is maintained in an .ini file, so the *_version.res file can be generated whenever necessary. This gets rid of the annoyance of the .res and .dproj file constantly changing due to incrementing the build number.
Oh, I just realized that you said "Delphi 10", which I think is Delphi 2006. That Delphi version did not have pre- and post-build events, so you would have to call the program for maintaining the version yourself.
Read this article http://www.thedelphigeek.com/2008/01/tdm-rerun-2-better-build-process.html
by Primoz Gabrijelcic, originally published in The Delphi Magazine. It contains a complete description on what you need to do.
If you are looking for a non-gui way of doing this then I think if you look in the bdsproj file you will find a section in the xml where the version is written you can change it here. The next time it builds it will use this version.
DDevExtensions has a build incrementer in it, I'm not sure how to get the delphi 2006 version, but I think it exists and it's pretty handy stuff.
Do you need to increment the build number when you compile from the IDE, or outside? The IDE can increment it automatically, just check the flag in the project settings.
Incrementing that number outside the IDE is not simple because it is stored in the default .res file which is managed and regenerated by the IDE.
The command line compiler will not modify it. There are several ways to modify it (as other answer explain), and usually it works best with a build system that can generate the build numbers, especially if more than one developers work on the project.
I posted QC #70564 issue to ask that version info can be set by the command line compiler.
Related
I am trying to install a commercial component called JamShellBrowser but it will not install.
I have contacted the developer, but meanwhile I'd like to know:
What is a vrc file?
How is it produced?
Can it be controlled or modified with the Delphi XE4 IDE?
I checked the IDE's help but I could not find anything about vrc files and I searched for Delphi vrc and did not find anything that would help me.
The error message is:
Checking project dependencies...
Compiling JamShellDelphiXE4.dproj (Release, Win32)
brcc32 command line for "JamShellDelphiXE4.vrc"
c:\program files (x86)\embarcadero\rad studio\11.0\bin\cgrc.exe -c65001 JamShellDelphiXE4.vrc -foJamShellDelphiXE4.res
[BRCC32 Error] JamShellDelphiXE4.vrc(2): file not found: JamShellDelphiXE2_Icon.ico
Failed
Elapsed time: 00:00:00.1
I searched the components folders for an ico file, but there is none... thus the message, but even if I remove the line MAINICON ICON "JamShellDelphiXE2_Icon.ico" from the vrc file or even delete the vrc file it is automatically generated when I try to install.
I moved from Delphi 2010 to XE4 a few months ago and noticed the apparently new vrc file but I do not know what it is or how to handle these files.
A .vrc is a temporary file created by Delphi MSBuild process to compile resources files (.res) which will be linked in the final binary output. It is passed to CodeGear Resource Compiler/Binder (cgrc.exe) and deleted after the build process.
It doesn't appear anywhere in .dproj file. This behaviour is from BuildVersionResource target, imported from $(BDS)\Bin\CodeGear.Common.Targets. Look at this file (and at CodeGear.Delphi.Targets) if you want to get a better understanding of build process.
Removing <Icon_MainIcon> tag from .dproj it's not enough, as VERSIONINFO resources can also force the creation of .vrc file (I believe "vrc" stands for "Version Resource", although it is also used for main icon in applications).
In case of packages, Delphi always put version info in packages projects. The "include version information" IDE option is ignored with package projects.
So, if you (like me)
don't rely on Delphi IDE to set application main icon
don't rely on Delphi IDE to set version info resources; and
do manage to include your own resources files for everything
you can disable its creation entirely by setting the SkipResGeneration to true in your msbuild call. E.g.:
msbuild.exe myProject /t:Build /p:Config=Release /p:SkipResGeneration=true
However, this only works for MSBuild-based builds. I don't know how to do the same for builds from Delphi IDE.
Just open your #PROJECT#.dproj in any text editor file and find lines
<Icon_MainIcon>#PROJECT#_Icon.ico</Icon_MainIcon>
and delete them.
You will find one per Build target.
Save the file and you are done.
Edit: The original answer referred to the .dpr file, however note the section to edit is in the .dproj hence I've updated the the answer above to reflect this.
I believe this is a built in IDE behaviour of Delphi XE4 and XE5, possibly caused by an upgrade bug. Generation of VRC files is something that you can not disable except by removing the tags in the dproj file that cause it to be generated.
If there was a way to fix it or remove it, it might involve comparing your dproj file with another dproj file and looking for something that was appropriate only to a .dpr+.dproj Project that somehow got into your .dpk+.dproj project, like <Icon_MainIcon>.
It appears to be an intermediate file that is auto-generated when a .dpr+.dproj project has some version information which must be written out of the .dproj file, and into a temporary location and then compiled and linked into your application as a version info resource. However, I have also seen it get generated for a .dpk+.dproj project, and this mystifies me as well.
It also seems to contain a resource for your default application icon and version information, and packages do not normally have a versioninfo or application icon resource.
What I find to be possibly a BUG is that there is no UI in the Delphi IDE to let you set the Application Icon of a Package. Yet, I sometimes get a .VRC and an .ICO file. But I am not aware of a fix, other than to report the issue to Embarcadero Quality Central.
With a .dproj project, a .VRC intermediate file makes at least some sense. I see the following content: Version Info, Application Icon, and VCL Styles (ie AquaLightSlate.vsf) resource linkage.
this is a clarification...
I've just started to install several component libraries into Delphi RAD Studio XE5 that I've got installed in XE2 and XE4. When I try to Build most of them, I get this same error.
The problem isn't so much the .vrc file itself, it's this particular error:
[BRCC32 Error] <project_name>.vrc(2): file not found: <project_name>_Icon.ico
I can't figure out a way to bypass it, and I have no idea what it's looking for or where.
I tend to copy my component libs from one version to the next, opening them, building them, and installing them (ie. the ones that don't come with installers). I've never seen this happen in prior versions. However, this is the first time I've had RAD Studio installed; in the past I've just had Delphi. So perhaps it has something to do with having C++ installed as well?
I had to change my X.optset file to get this to work.
X being the name of your Delphi version you brought over these options from. Mine was PolyDelphiXE2.optset.
Once I corrected the name here no more funny compiling that brought in a different ico reference.
as the title says, I'm trying to compile a Win32 program without the aid of an IDE, just so I can learn. I'm using Borland Studio 2006, and my first thought was to take some files generated from a Forms application from the IDE and compile the project file... that gave me errors about expecting unit and finding object instead. I know that's from the dfm file which holds all the settings for a form, but I don't get how the IDE deals with that file, can anyone help me understand the system better? :)
If I have understood correctly, you need to grasp the structure of a Delphi project and how Forms and units work together. You cannot just cherry-pick some files and expect to be able to feed them to the compiler.
You also have to set the path to the library/components/used files so that the compiler can find everything it needs, starting with the project dpr.
I would recommend that you try first to run your project from the IDE, then once it runs, you can try it from the command line.
I found out all I needed to do is compile the top level unit into a dcu, and then the project will compile :) If anyone else is trying to do the same thing, there's some great info at the bottom of this page
http://www.codexterity.com/raw-delphi/index.htm
WANT automates the process of building, testing, and packaging applications and libraries much like Jakarta Ant does
You wrote in question that you are using BDS 2006. If you want to learn more recent build process in Delphi I suggest you to upgrade at least to Delphi 2007 which introduced MS Build usage.
Of course MS Build acts like "wrapper" so this is not must have but nice have :-)
I read in a blog about Version Insight (http://www.delphifeeds.com/go/s/77066) that (among others) JCL doesn't have its .dproj files under version control and i was wondering what the advantages of that would be.
Especially since me and my collegue developer often "bug" each other with checking in project files with our own favorite debug settings (he likes optimization on, I want it off). And because of the regular hick ups of Delphi 2007 that screw up the dproj file with all kinds of faulty dependencies. Does not versioning help in anyway with these things?
We are using Starteam as our VCS at the moment.
If you're using Delphi 2009 or later Option Sets are a perfect solution for this problem.
Option sets are basically collections of settings that would normally reside in the DPROJ (which you do version) but instead stored in a .OPTSET file (which you don't version).
Make your DPROJ contain the settings that are common to all developers, that nobody is allowed to change unless it's an agreed across the board change.
Next in the project manager (D2009 and above) on first the DEBUG configuration node and then the RELEASE configuration node, right click and select "New Option Set". Call this option set something like "Local Developer Debug Settings.optset" and "Local Developer Release Settings.optset".
Now commit only your DPROJ to version control as it now refers to these .OPTSET files. You must name your option sets exactly the same on each machine for this reason.
When you want to make a local change to your project configuration rather than editing the project configuration, right click on the Option Set in the project manager and select "Edit Option Set".
The IDE will apply the changed settings from the option sets without modifying the original DPROJ. Settings are applied hierarchicly with option sets being the last to be applied.
I store, in my .dproj files, settings that are used by msbuild for my build process. For example, conditional defines, compiler settings, etc. If you do the same then you need to version them.
If you are using a version of Delphi where the IDE breaks the .dproj file on a regular basis, then surely revision control will help you fight back.
I can't see any advantage in not versioning them.
If you choose not to version your DPROJ, when creating your release builds I recommend you use a separate build script of some sort that you do version e.g.
a batch file that calls the command line compiler and specifies the compiler options and paths required.
a Finalbuilder project (much easier than a batch file)
an msbuild script (never done this myself but I assume it would be possible).
One solution for this issue is to be more discerning about what parts of the DPROJ (and also DFM files) you allow to be checked in.
You don't mention what version control system you're using but TortoiseHg has a hunk selection feature as part of it's commit process which lets you select individual lines within a changed file to be committed and still leave other lines uncommitted.
I use this method to never check in junk changes from the DPROJ (such as changing the active config from RELEASE to DEBUG) and the DFMs (e.g. changes to ExplicitHeight and ExplicitWidth properties).
The only reason i can think of to NOT version control DPROJ files is if, like the JCL, you can regenerate them as part of your build process. The JCL is a class library (code-library) not an application, and it targets multiple versions of Delphi with differences in their .dproj files. In fact, versions of delphi prior to 2005 didn't use .dproj files at all.
Later version of Delphi XE4, 5, 6, and XE7 are very stable constructing the .dproj XML files. I have no complain using git to version .dproj and .groupproj files. Updates to these files using the IDE editor result to expected neat and clean changes only.
I followed the advice received in a previous discussion ( Should "Library path" point to the source files of packages? ) and now my Library Path points to folders containing the compiled code (DCU) and NOT to the source code of my controls.
The problem is that I have to duplicate the RES and DFM files and copy them from the 'source code' folder to the 'compiled' folder. It is not a elegant solution at all since, every time I change something (and I do often) to my controls I have to remember to copy the new resource files to the compiled folder.
There must be an elegant way to solve the mystery of the paths! All I want is to push the compile button and to have my program compiled. It doesn't seem so complicated. Right? Well, actually it work with my previous setup (point Delphi to source code of all controls). I just changed it to do it the way the 'good people' are doing it.
Addendum
I still think this is the wrong approach since Delphi's (scarce) documentation says that Library path should point to the "source files for the package".
Using:
Delphi 7, Win 7 (32), simple Delphi setup (single developer with no versioning system installed).
You have two solution:
Use a build tool to build and copy all files where they should be properly deployed (my preferred solution) after each build
Put the .pas/.dfm/.res directory after the .dcu ones. It will find the .dcu first and won't recompile unless you build, and it will keep on looking for .res/.dfm, etc.
If you look inside a D2007 project file (*.dproj) you'll see that the search path occurs multiple time for each configuration. There is
<DCC_UnitSearchPath>,
<DCC_ResourcePath>,
<DCC_ObjPath> and
<DCC_IncludePath>.
Maybe you can point <DCC_ResourcePath> to the source directory containing the resource files while you point the other variables to the DCU directory.
NB: I haven't tried this and can't check if the situation is different in other Delphi versions.
Though answers provided here by others are definitively good and correct (everybody receives a vote up), after experimenting a bit I decided to keep my previous (KISS) set up. It worked for years and it will work for many more. I know, it trades speed (recompiling the source code) for stability but it keeps the "paths, libraries, source, browsing and output folders" madness at bay. I just don't have to worry about settings paths anymore (except first time when I install Delphi but this can be automated) or to quit current DPR Delphi project and load a DPK library and compile it every time I add changes to it.
In a fresh VCL application Compile and Build operation produce the same binary and map file (with minor differences at the end of .exe file even if "include version information in project" option is switched off - already discussed). Map file is the same byte to byte. But wen I add any third-party component the binary and map(!) file produced by Build and Compile are significantly different!
Tested on two versions of Delphi:
- Version 7.0 (Build 8.1)
- CodeGear™ RAD Studio 2007 Version 11.0.2902.10471 (+December 2007 Update)
Step to reproduce:
Create New VCL Application. Possibly add any native Delphi component (I try all components from Standart, Additional, Win32 and System tab).
Turn on Detailed Map file on Linker tab of the Project Options.
Build project.
Rename output .exe and .map file (for example: project1.exe to project1b.exe and project1.map to project1b.map).
Compile project.
Rename output .exe and .map file (for example: project1.exe to project1c.exe and project1.map to project1c.map).
Compare files from step 4 and 6. (I use WinMerge
2.12.4.0).
We have little different .exe files and fully identical .map files. Then if we repeat all steps again but use in the project third-party component (I try ODAC, DOA, DevExpress and selfmade) we get more different .exe and different .map files.
Why? Any suggestions?
UPDATE
Some information about how I found this and why it's interests me:
Project is build from simple script with MSBuild. When in the project was added translation thru ITE (dll with resources) I found that when project was Build (from script or from IDE) - translated version work wrong - some text on button, labels etc. got from wrong place (literally from another button, labels). When project Compiled from IDE - everything is ok. So I start compare Build and Compile output...
What you're seeing is simply an artifact of the built-in make logic of the compiler. When you do a build, it tells the compiler to build all available sources. So Delphi processes each source file and for each unit in the uses lists for which it finds source, it will then build that file. It does this recursively. When you do a compile, only the existing .dcu files are loaded and if they're found to be up-to-date, nothing is done. This can actually lead to a different order in which the units are discovered since each .dcu will effectively "flatten" the uses list. Since the units are discovered and loaded in a different order, they are in-turn, linked in a different order. This is why your map files look so different. Given the same sources, the map file should be the same if you do two builds in a row or two compiles in a row.
Other causes for differences are more mundane and include things like the PE header time stamp, and other bits of padding and alignments.
There is two parts to this answer I believe.
Part of the problem your seeing, IIRC, is that the compiler doesn't zero out memory before doing a compile/build. Thus anything left in uninitialized memory becomes filler in the output for alignment purposes.
I also seem to recall that there is a date time stamp included in the pe header information for the application. that will cause a difference every time.
I'm not the best person to confirm this but this is what I seem to recall from past discussions.
People like Allen Bauer or Barry Kelly would probably be able to give better/more accurate information on this.
If you use compiler defines in your project and just changed those, if you do a compile, you won't see any changes to the dcu's and the resulting module (exe or dll). If you do a full rebuild the compiler defines are used in the newly created dcu's and modules.
I have seen this in a large project group where we use modules in different projects with different defines and all dcu's are stored in the same directory.
Ergo: The compiler does not enforce the dependancies on the defines in this case.
Perhaps you did see the same issue.