Version Information Component (TPJVersionInfo)

Contents

• Description
• Compatibility
• Availability
• Installation
• Known Issues
• Update History
• License and Disclaimer
• About the Author

Description

TPJVersionInfo is a 32 bit non-visual component for Delphi 2 to 7 that encapsulates the version information contained in an executable file's resources.

The component reads information from a designated file's VERSIONINFO resource. The name file for which version information is to be extracted is set using the component's FileName property. Setting FileName to the empty string fetches version information for the executable containing the component. The boolean HaveInfo property indicates whether the file contains version information. This 32 bit version of TPJVersionInfo can access variable file information for each language provided in the resource. The component depends on the version information following the Microsoft guidelines -- and not all software does!

Run-time properties enable access to to version information. Properties enable:

• access to fixed file information, either by field or the whole record
• access to the number of translations stored in the version information
• selection of the translation for which information is to be returned by other properties
• access to the language and code page of the current translation - by code and by name
• access to the string file information for the current translation - named properties access the Microsoft-defined string information, while an array property gives access to any string item by name.

Limitations

This version of the component makes calls to the 32 bit Windows API. It is not suitable for compilation using the 16 bit Delphi 1 compiler.

Further information

For detailed information about version information refer to the Win32 SDK.

Compatibility

This version of the component works only with 32 bit versions of Delphi. It has been tested with Delphi versions 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. It is assumed to work correctly with Delphi 5.

The unit name changed to PJVersionInfo at release 3 -- this means that programs using earlier versions will need to be modified (or to have an alias set in Delphi's Project Options) before being recompiled using the new version.

This component is backward compatible with previous 32 bit releases. >From release 3 component's help file has been updated to integrate with the Delphi 3 and later IDE. It is no longer compatible with the Delphi 2 IDE, although can be used separately.

Availability

The component is available from download from www.delphidabbler.com. Updates will always be published there first.

Note: A 16 bit version of the component for use with Delphi 1 is also available from the above site.

Installation

In these instructions $(DELPHI) is to be taken to represent the path where your 32 bit version of Delphi was installed. For example, if you have Delphi 4 installed on the path C:\Program Files\Borland\Delphi4 then $(DELPHI) represents that path.

The component and associated files are supplied in a .zip file.

Installation with Delphi 2

Note: although the provided help file gives information about using the component it cannot be linked into the Delphi 2 environment.

1. Unzip the component's .zip file into a folder, preserving the directory structure.
2. Copy the files PJVersionInfo.pas and PJVersionInfo.dcr to the folder from where you wish to install the component into the Delphi Component Palette. This will probably be an existing folder where you keep the library components - say the default $(DELPHI)\lib folder.
3. Start Delphi. Select the Options | Install Components menu option. Click the Add button, then the Browse button and navigate to the PJVersionInfo.pas file in the folder where you placed it. Click OK to recompile the components library.
4. You can now delete PJVersionInfo.pas from the place where you copied it if you wish. The component will appear on a palette called DelphiDabbler. You can move the component to a different palette as required.

Installation with Delphi 3 to 7

NOTE: If you are updating from an earlier version of PJVersionInfo.pas and have installed the DelphiDabbler about box component TPJAboutBoxDlg you may need to uninstall it before updating PJVersionInfo.pas, and re-install the about box component once the update has been installed. This is necessary because the about box component depends on TPJVersionInfo.

1. Unzip the component's .zip into a folder of your choice, preserving the directory structure.
2. Copy the files PJVersionInfo.pas and PJVersionInfo.dcr to where you wish to install into Delphi. This will probably be a sub-folder of the $(DELPHI)\lib folder.
3. Install the unit's components and property editor into the palette by chosing the Component | Install Component menu option to display the Install Component dialog box. Then:
   • Select the Into existing package tab.
   • Click the Browse button next to the Unit file name edit box to display the Unit file name dialog box.
   • Select PJVersionInfo.pas from the file dialog and click OK to return to the Install Component dialog box.
   • Choose the package into you wish to install from the Package file name drop down list.
   • Click OK.
   • A confirmation dialog box, querying whether it is OK to rebuild and reinstall the package may displayed. Click Yes to proceed.
   • The package will now be built and a dialog box stating that the TPJVersionInfo component has been installed should be displayed. Click OK to dismiss the dialog box.
4. You can now delete PJVersionInfo.pas from the place where you copied it if you wish (but ensure that the .dcu file is not deleted). The component will appear on a palette called DelphiDabbler. The other code in the unit can be made available simply by use-ing the unit in your projects. You can move the components to a different palette as required.
5. The simplest way to install the help file is to use my Component Help Installer Expert. To install manually, proceed as follows:
   • Copy PJVersionInfo.hlp to whichever folder you wish to install it to.
   • In Delphi 3 to 6 (where X is the Delphi version 3..6):
     • Edit DelphiX.ohl (in $(DELPHI)\Help), adding the line :Link PJVersionInfo.hlp to the end of the section labelled "Third party help".
     • Edit DelphiX.ohi (in $(DELPHI)\Help), adding the line :Index DelphiDabbler Version information=PJVersionInfo.hlp towards the end of the index section.
     • Edit DelphiX.cnt (in $(DELPHI)\Help), ensuring that the lines :Include delphiX.ohi and :Include delphiX.ohl appear somewhere in the file.
   • In Delphi 7
     • Edit D7.ohl (in $(DELPHI)\Help), adding the line :Link PJVersionInfo.hlp to the end of the section labelled "Third party help".
     • Edit D7.ohi (in $(DELPHI)\Help), adding the line :Index DelphiDabbler Version information=PJVersionInfo.hlp towards the end of the index section.
     • Edit D7.cnt (in $(DELPHI)\Help), ensuring that the lines :Include d7.ohi and :Include d7.ohl appear somewhere in the file.
   • Using RegEdit open the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Help and add a new string value named PJVersionInfo.hlp whose value is the path where you copied the help file (probably ($DELPHI)\Help).
6. The supplied demo programs can be loaded into Delphi and compiled and run as required.

Known Issues

• None known.

Update History

Unreleased
VerInfo v1.0 of 26/04/1998

• Original version - 16 bit only.

Unreleased
VerInfo v2.0 of 06/12/1998

• Revised for use with Win32. Not compatible with v1.0 which continued to be developed and used with 16 bit Delphi.

Release 2.0.1 of 08/07/1999
VerInfo v2.0.1 of 09/04/1999
(This release also included Release 1.0 of 16 bit VerInfo v1.0.1).

• Changed palette where component installs to "PJ Stuff" from "Own".
• Added HTML documentation (shared documentation with Release 1.0.1).

Release 2.1 of 28/11/1999
VInfo v2.1 of 28/11/1999
(Separated 16 bit and 32 bits versions into separate releases).

• Changed unit name from VerInfo to VInfo to allow component to install under Delphi 3 & 4 (VerInfo clashes with an existing unit in these versions).
• Removed superfluous conditional compilation directives.
• Updated HTML documentation to separate 16 bit from 32 bit version, to to include installation notes for Delphi 3/4 and to include update history.

Release 3.0 of 17/02/2002
PJVersionInfo v3.0 of 17/02/2002

• Added ability to access all "translations" stored in a file's version information, rather than just first one. This has been done so that code using earlier versions of this component should continue to work unchanged.
• Added new property to expose fixed file information record.
• Added new "string array" property to give access to string information by name: this property can access any custom string information if the name is known.
• Added properties to return number of "translations" and to select index of "translation" to be used.
• Added properties to return language and character set codes in addition to descriptive strings.
• All string info, language and character set properties now return values from the currently selected translation (which defaults to the first translation maintaining backward compatibilty).
• Empty FileName property now accesses name of host application per command line rather than using Application.ExeName.
• CharSet property now returns '' for unknown value rather than 'Unknown'.
• Renamed TVersionNumber record to TPJVersionNumber.
• Replaced Tvs_FixedFileInfo record with use of Windows unit defined type TVSFixedFileInfo
• Renamed unit to PJVersionInfo.
• Changed component palette from PJ Stuff to PJSoft.

Release 3.0.1 of 08/07/2003
PJVersionInfo v3.0.1 of 08/07/2003

• Changed component palette from PJSoft to DelphiDabbler.
• Updated HTML documentation.
• Changed copyright message in help file.

Release 3.1 of 07/09/2003
PJVersionInfo v3.1 of 07/09/2003

• Fixed to be compatible with C++ Builder - direct access fields of TVSFixedFileInfo in property declarations was replaced by calls to an indexed property getter function.

License & Disclaimer

This component is copyright © P.D.Johnson, 1998-2003.

The source code and help files can be freely distributed on a not-for-profit basis providing that:

1. the source code is not altered.
2. this readme file is distributed with it unchanged

By not-for-profit I mean that you may recover out of pocket expenses incurred in distributing the code, but should not make a profit from this.

If you discover any bugs in this implementation, or if you have any update suggestions, please contact me.

Please do modify the code for you own use. I'd like to see any changes you make - I could incorporate them into future versions. Please notify me of changes on at the above e-mail address.

This software is provided as is - no warranty is given as to its suitability for any purposes to which you may wish to put it.

About the Author

I'm Peter Johnson - a hobbyist programmer living in Ceredigion in West Wales, UK, writing write mainly in Delphi. My programs are available for download from: http://www.delphidabbler.com/.

I can be contacted via the website.