#33 Version information

[Joachim Puhr]

A function to query the version information of the library (to display in a messagebox) would be great.

[Thomas Orgis]

You have a point there. What would make most sense, a string, a set of numbers (major, minor, bugfix) plus extra identifier (alpha, beta, ...)?

We wouldn't even need a function ... a simple external const variable would do it, too. Otherwise, one could extend mpg123_feature to return version numbers ...

major = mpg123_feature(MPG123_FEATURE_MAJOR);
minor = mpg123_feature(MPG123_FEATURE_MINOR);
bugfix = mpg123_feature(MPG123_FEATURE_BUGFIX);

though, that still would be overkill compared to

extern const int mpg123_major;
extern const int mpg123_minor;
extern const int mpg123_bugfix;
extern const char* mpg123_version_string;

(mpg123_version is already the name of an enum)

[Joachim Puhr]

Hello, as a proposal, here is the version code from the lame project (lame.h file):

/*
* OPTIONAL:
* get the version number, in a string. of the form:
* "3.63 (beta)" or just "3.63".
*/
const char* CDECL get_lame_version ( void );
const char* CDECL get_lame_short_version ( void );
const char* CDECL get_lame_very_short_version ( void );
const char* CDECL get_psy_version ( void );
const char* CDECL get_lame_url ( void );
const char* CDECL get_lame_os_bitness ( void );

/*
* OPTIONAL:
* get the version numbers in numerical form.
*/
typedef struct {
/* generic LAME version */
int major;
int minor;
int alpha; /* 0 if not an alpha version */
int beta; /* 0 if not a beta version */

/* version of the psy model */
int psy_major;
int psy_minor;
int psy_alpha; /* 0 if not an alpha version */
int psy_beta; /* 0 if not a beta version */

/* compile time features */
const char *features; /* Don't make assumptions about the contents! */
} lame_version_t;
void CDECL get_lame_version_numerical(lame_version_t *);

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternatively, the Boost library only has version macros (from version.hpp):

// Caution, this is the only boost header that is guarenteed
// to change with every boost release, including this header
// will cause a recompile every time a new boost version is
// released.
//
// BOOST_VERSION % 100 is the patch level
// BOOST_VERSION / 100 % 1000 is the minor version
// BOOST_VERSION / 100000 is the major version

#define BOOST_VERSION 105000

//
// BOOST_LIB_VERSION must be defined to be the same as BOOST_VERSION
// but as a *string* in the form "x_y[_z]" where x is the major version
// number, y is the minor version number, and z is the patch level if not 0.
// This is used by <config/auto_link.hpp> to select which library version to link to.

#define BOOST_LIB_VERSION "1_50"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The same is in the Qwt project:

// QWT_VERSION is (major << 16) + (minor << 8) + patch.
#define QWT_VERSION 0x060001
#define QWT_VERSION_STR "6.0.1"

[Thomas Orgis]

Damn, since sf.net reworked itself, I'm rather disconnected from the stuff that happens here .. need to get the ticket system to keep my mailbox informed.

Is the MPG123_API_VERSION of some use? I don't really fancy adding a host of functions for that. I'd opt for the library adding string constant with the full version ("1.15.4-experimental-prealpha"). One might also add a numerical constant to mirror MPG123_API_VERSION at build time. Feature query is already there, mpg123_feature().

Would that be fine? I might just add it for 1.16.0 .