File Properties of an .exe Help file

[Rob Davis]

Hi

The .exe that is generated by publishing an 'eBooks for Windows' has a constant Program File Version (unless you - E C Software - update the tool). This does not really seem correct, because the file version actually has different contents every time we make a change to the Help file.

Our Version Management software looks at the 'File Properties' field in our source control to see if a file has been updated.

We include a text variable called 'Build Version' in our Help file source - this tracks the iterations of our Build Process and it seems more meaningful if a Text variable like this could be used in the File Version field of the Help file - it is more valid, because as noted, the published .exe file DOES actually change each time we update the Help contents, yes?

Given that our Development Team want to use a common file property for all components when using their Version Control, do you have a suggestion for how we can update the File Version field when the file is updated?

Thanks

Rob

[Alexander Halser]

Given that our Development Team want to use a common file property for all components when using their Version Control, do you have a suggestion for how we can update the File Version field when the file is updated?

The version number is a resource string in the executable. You can modify this with every standard resource editor (manually or automated).

From our point of view, this should be the version of the viewer, because the viewer is the executable and the version entry shows the executable version. With Help+Manual 8.5 we are going to deliver eviewer.exe v3.0.

In the long run, executables with data on board are a dying breed. Using the viewer with data really only makes sense to have a viewer with default content, just in case that a user opens the viewer stand-alone. In that case, the executable with data will display basic help information that you can design in Help+Manual, and that information probably won't change much. After exporting a viewer with data, you need to sign the executable again, to make it run properly on Windows.

[Alexander Halser]

I haven't tried these utilities and we are not affiliated with any of them.
But from the description, they should do the trick:

http://www.heaventools.com/command-line ... editor.htm
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

[Tim Green]

Hi Rob,

I'm checking on what is possible with this, but basically the version number is the version of the viewer program and that does not and should not change. If possible, I would also recommend switching to the separate viewer in the new 3.0 version anyway, for which there is now also a MacOS version. The EXE version is becoming obsolete and has major drawbacks for distributing new versions of your documentation. See here for details:

General information:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/news/2022 ... -and-more/

New MacOS version:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/news/2022 ... -released/

IMPORTANT -- Package for software help with new documentation:
https://www.helpandmanual.com/download/ ... redist.zip

[Tim Frost]

Since we are talking about the file properties of eViewer.exe, I looked at them. In the 64-bit folder inside eviewer-v3-developer-redist.zip, which I re-downloaded today to be sure (and it's the same as on 26/07), I see that this file is reported as intended for "Windows 32-bit", and also as file version 2.5.0.0. The "Product Name" correctly refers says "... for 64 bit", and Process Explorer confirms it is a 64-bit process. But the other information seems 'misleading'.

[Alexander Halser]

You are correct, v2.5 is a small bug and very misleading. We've updated the download with the correct version number for the 64 bit executable.
I am not sure what intended for "Windows 32-bit" means in this context. Never seen such a message.
The 64 bit eviewer.exe is a 64 bit executable that won't run on a 32 bit OS. The 32 bit version runs on both, 32 and 64 bit.

[Tim Frost]

In response to the OP: I have used ResourceHacker (see link from Alexander) for this purpose and can recommend it; I create an RC file which can be applied by running this program in Finalbuilder when we build. I recall that there was documentation or a post here saying that this could be done. We leave the product name unchanged (although we follow the recommendation to rename the EXE), and also the file version, but we set the product version to match our own product version used all the other programs and DLLs. There is no Copyright string in the file properties and I would not change it if there was. Since we have changed the EXE we also re-sign it. But we have a separate help file, not built in to the EXE.