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?

Thomas Weller · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-13T11:17:43.867

Option 1: parse the XML

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

Update the repository if needed.

Use a "Subversion" action with the following settings:
```
Path = %PROJDIR%
Subcommand = update
```
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"
```

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)

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

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

Save the temporary macro

Use a "Set macro" action with the following settings:
```
Name = REVISION
Value = %GLOBAL_REV%
```

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 14 '16 at 11:11

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.

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

2 Answers2

Option 1: parse the XML

Option 2: parse the command line output