How can I use the SVN revision number in Visual Build?

Question

I want to use the SVN revision number as the 4th digit in my version number. In Visual Build, my version number is defined as

%MAJOR%.%MINOR%.%BUILD%.%REVISION%

and I'd like to populate the %REVISION% variable from SVN.

How can I achieve that in Visual Build?

Answer 1

Option 1: parse the XML

It's possible to implement that as a reusable subroutine step:

1. Update the repository if needed.

   Use a "Subversion" action with the following settings:

   Path = %PROJDIR%
   Subcommand = update
   

2. Store the SVN information into a XML file

   Use a "Run Program" action with the following settings:

   Command = %DOSCMD% svn info --xml > "%PROJDIR%\svninfo.xml"
   

3. Extract the revision

   Use a "Run Script" action for VBScript and apply the following code:

   dim fso
   Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
   dim filename
   filename = Application.ExpandMacros("%PROJDIR%\svninfo.xml")
   dim file
   set file = fso.OpenTextFile(filename, 1)
   dim filecontent
   filecontent = ""
   Do While Not file.AtEndOfStream
       filecontent = filecontent + file.readline + vbNewLine
   loop
   file.Close()
   set file = nothing
   set fso = nothing
   
   Builder.LogMessage(filecontent)
   
   ' Load as XML document
   set xmlDoc=CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
   call xmlDoc.loadxml(filecontent)
   
   ' Extract information
   dim revision
   set revision = xmlDoc.SelectSingleNode("/info/entry/@revision")
   
   ' Set output variable
   dim out
   out = Application.ExpandMacros("%OUTPUTMACRO%")
   call Application.Macros(vbldMacroTemporary).Add(out, revision.Value)
   

4. Delete the temporary XML file

   Use a "Delete Files" action with the setting

   Folder = %PROJDIR%
   Include = svninfo.xml
   

The subroutine should now look like this:

In order to use it from your build script, use the "Subroutine call" action and add OUTPUTMACRO with value REVISION. It should look like this:

Option 2: parse the command line output

1. Get the information about the repository

   Use a "Subversion" action with the following settings:

   Subcommand = info
   

   In the script editor for the step, add the following code:

   Sub vbld_StepDone()
       If Step.BuildStatus = vbldStepStatSucceeded Then
           ' parse output for Revision number
           out = vbld_AllMacros()("LASTSTEP_OUTPUT").Value
           pos = InStr(out, "Revision: ")+10
           pos2 = InStr(pos, out, vbCrLf)
           bld_TempMacros.Add "GLOBAL_REV", Mid(out, pos, pos2-pos)
       End If  
   End Sub
   

2. Save the temporary macro

   Use a "Set macro" action with the following settings:

   Name = REVISION
   Value = %GLOBAL_REV%
   

Answer 2

There is a command in svn commandline tools for exactly this:

svnversion [path_to_workingcopy]

It returns the current revision number of the working copy (or current dir, if arg is omitted). If working copy is modified, mixed or sparse checked out, it will output this as well. Excerpt from the documentation available via --help cmd-switch:

   4123:4168     mixed revision working copy
   4168M         modified working copy
   4123S         switched working copy
   4123P         partial working copy, from a sparse checkout
   4123:4168MS   mixed revision, modified, switched working copy

So you can just invoke svnversion in your buildscript and either process the output or put it into a file and read this file.