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Did you ever need a way to auto-increment the version of your code, based on build number?

Well, here it is!

First, I picked up the discussion at: davedelong.com. Then I expanded it a bit.

This is how it works:

First, create a new build phase in your target, and make it a “Run Script” build phase.
Then, Right click->Get Info, and click the “General Tab”.

Shell: /bin/bash
Script: ./Resources/plistVersionIncrement


Then, in your project directory, create a Sub-Directory: “Resources”.
Put this script there (make sure permission mask is: “755″ !) :

#!/bin/bash
#
# @(#)  Increment the version number in the project plist. V1.2.
#       Note:   The project plist could be in directory
#               "Resources" or the project root.
#               Personally, I avoid clutter in the project root.
#
#       Note:   This script should be invoked from the project root!
#
#       V1.2    Added checking for the INFOPLIST_FILE environment variable
#
#       Enjoy! xaos@xm5design.com
#
PROJECTMAIN=$(pwd)
PROJECT_NAME=$(basename "${PROJECTMAIN}")
#
#
# Let's see if the environment variable is set
if [[ "${INFOPLIST_FILE}" != "" ]]
then
   #   
   # This was passed from XCODE
   buildPlist="${INFOPLIST_FILE}"
   PROJECT_NAME=$(basename "${buildPlist}"| sed 's/^\(.*\)-Info.plist.*/\1/')
elif [[ -f "${PROJECTMAIN}/Resources/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist" ]]
then
    #
    # This should handle the default behavior of the OSX file system
    # which is case insensitive.
    buildPlist="${PROJECTMAIN}/Resources/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist"
elif [[ -f "${PROJECTMAIN}/resources/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist" ]]
then
    #
    # Just in case the file system is case sensitive.
    buildPlist="${PROJECTMAIN}/resources/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist"
elif [[ -f "${PROJECTMAIN}/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist" ]]
then
    #
    # In case the plist is in project root.
    buildPlist="${PROJECTMAIN}/${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist"
else
    echo -e "Can't find the plist: ${PROJECT_NAME}-Info.plist"
    exit 1
fi
#
buildVersion=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print CFBundleVersion" "${buildPlist}" 2>/dev/null)
if [[ "${buildVersion}" = "" ]]
then
    echo -e "\"${buildPlist}\" does not contain key: \"CFBundleVersion\""
    exit 1
fi
IFS='.'
set $buildVersion
MAJOR_VERSION="${1}.${2}.${3}"
MINOR_VERSION="${4}"
buildNumber=$(($MINOR_VERSION + 1))
buildNewVersion="${MAJOR_VERSION}.${buildNumber}"
echo -e "${PROJECT_NAME}: Old version number: ${buildVersion} New Version Number: ${buildNewVersion}"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Set :CFBundleVersion ${buildNewVersion}" "${buildPlist}"

Now, in your program do:

NSString *myVersion = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Version: %@",
    [[[NSBundle mainBundle] infoDictionary] objectForKey:@"CFBundleVersion"]];

Keep in mind that Xcode caches files, so if you want a new version to show up do: “Clean All” and re-build.

Updated on 6/8/2010. New script now checks for upper/lower case “resources”. Also forgot “*” in “myVersion”. Thx Bob D.

Updated on 6/10/2010. New script now checks for environment variable: “INFOPLIST_FILE” passed from xcode