Why is the version of UltraEdit displayed different? Is there a version information mismatch?

schwit · Feb 07, 2023#12023-02-07T00:45+00:00

I installed UltraEdit via winget. 'winget list' outputs the version as 29.2.46.
The installed uedit64.exe executable properties display the version as 29.2.0.46.
UltraEdit´s Help / About shows the version as 2022.2.0.46.

Can we get them in sync?

Mofi · Feb 07, 2023#22023-02-07T08:32+00:00

All three versions are correct.

The version 2022.2.0.46 as shown in About window is the application version or product version of UltraEdit and used also in the meantime everywhere on web site of UltraEdit, Inc. The major version number (first number) is since year 2022 the main release year to help users find out easier when was released the fist major version of the installed version of an application of UltraEdit, Inc. and how old it is. The license is often purchased in same year. A license depends on the major version. That version is a resource string in uedit*.exe and its resource library ueres.dll.

The version 29.2.0.46 as stored in file version information of the UltraEdit executables and resource libraries uses the version numbering as used for all applications of UltraEdit, Inc. (former IDM Computer Solutions, Inc.) up to the year 2021. The file version is a 64-bit integer number or two 32-bit integer numbers consisting of four 16-bit integer numbers and not a string like the application version. See the Microsoft documentations for the FileVersionInfo Class and for Version Information with the referenced pages like VERSIONINFO resource for more details.

I have asked a year ago support of UltraEdit, why the major version number in file version is not changed also to 2022 and have got a reply with the explanation. Versioning structures seem to have issues with large version numbers and in testing UltraEdit, Inc. specifically found issues with the MSI installers in this regard. The Windows Installer, former named Microsoft Installer (MSI), has problems with a large number for major version. UltraEdit, Inc. would have made the file version identical to the application version if the Windows Installer would not have issues with 2022 as major version number.

The version 29.2.46 as output by winget omits the optional maintenance number and shows the version only in format major.minor.build. The maintenance number is usually always 0. I think, there was only once in 20 years a special version of UltraEdit where this number was changed to 1 in the version of UltraEdit.

mailman4510 · Feb 17, 2023#32023-02-17T08:56+00:00

@Mofi I think @schwit 's post was about something else.

For us the version numbering is comprehensible, but winget only does care about two things: The version registered in the winget repository, and the version on the local computer in the the registry at

Code: Select all

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{AFFE5F64-3248-41E9-96AE-8B475F6EFAB3}

There the registry key "DisplayVersion" currently shows the string "29.2.0.52", because it's what I have installed.

winget compares the version in its repository to this "DisplayVersion" string, and as the version in the winget repository is "29.2.52", it doesn't match, and as 0 is lower than 52 winget will offer an upgrade.

Here's the current output of winget upgrade:

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Name      ID                                 Version   Available Source
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UltraEdit IDMComputerSolutions,Inc.UltraEdit 29.2.0.52 29.2.52   winget
1 upgrade available.

As long as the version in the winget repository won't match the installed version, it will always offer the upgrade. Which actually is quite annoying when you're using winget a lot.

From my understanding @schwit pointed out that the version format in the winget repository (n.n.n) should be synced to the version used in the registry (n.n.n.n) for winget to work correctly.

Edit:

After checking the winget repository at https://github.com/microsoft/winget-pkgs/tree/master/manifests/i/IDMComputerSolutions%2CInc/UltraEdit/29.2.52 it's clear the entry into the repository probably wasn't made by someone at IDM. The main problem here is the version number extracted from the MSI-Installer at https://downloads.ultraedit.com/main/ue/win/ue_english_64.msi which reports the wrong format (currently 29.2.52).

As this basically is an automated process, the question is if the version format in the MSI-Installer for the "ProductVersion" could be changed in the future to have the n.n.n.n format?

Mofi · Feb 17, 2023#42023-02-17T16:23+00:00

mailman4510 wrote:As this basically is an automated process, the question is if the version format in the MSI-Installer for the "ProductVersion" could be changed in the future to have the n.n.n.n format?

Thank you for all the provided detailed information. It helped me to understand the winget update process even better after I read yesterday already some Microsoft documentation pages and blog posts about package manager winget.

You are right that the MSI package of English UltraEdit contains currently 29.2.52 as product version as I could find out with the PowerShell script posted Joe Li at Getting version information from Windows MSI installer.

I cannot answer your question as I am just a user of UltraEdit and not an employee of UltraEdit, Inc. It would be good sending an email to UltraEdit support with all the information (or a link to this user forum topic) and ask UltraEdit support if a change of the production version of MSI package is possible without breaking the downwards compatibility.

PS: I use myself only the SUF installer executables for UC/UE/UES installations and updates and not the MSI packages for various reasons.