Compare Program Version with unknown "new" Version

[PeterPWN]

Hi,

I have the following Problem:

I have an Autoit Script, that runs via Group Policy Logon Script on the Host PC and checks the File Version there with an ini File on the Server. When the two Versions are different it runs the installer script to install the newest program. ( I edit the ini File and the newest Installer once I got them)

The Problem is now: When I'm on holiday or whatever and some User installs a newer Version of a Program than is on the server, the Script installs the old program again once the user logs on since the two versions differ.

So I need a way to somehow check if the Version on the PC is newer than the one in the ini file.

The File currently looks like this:

[Java]

Version=6.0.210.6

Version=10.1.53.64

[AdobeReader]

Version=9.3.3

[Firefox]

Version=3.6.8 (de)

Thank you

The best way to deal with that Problem would be to Download new Updates automatically and Update the Ini File, but i guess that would be too complex ^^

Edited August 6, 2010 by PeterPWN

[NiVZ]

Instead of checking if the version numbers are different, why don't you just check if the version on the PC is less than the version in the INI file?

That way it won't run if the PC has a newer version than the server

eg:

If $PCVersion < $ServerVersion Then

; Run Installer

EndIf

For checking the version on the PC you can use FileGetVersion, or loop through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Uninstall looking at DisplayName and DisplayVersion

NiVZ

Edited August 6, 2010 by NiVZ

[water]

But be aware that you do a string compare so the results might be wrong. You have to make the strings "compareable".

#include <array.au3>

; String compare
$sV1 = "10.9.17"
$sV2 = "10.10.3"

If $sV1 > $sV2 Then
    ConsoleWrite($sV1 & " > " & $sV2 & @CRLF)
Else
    ConsoleWrite($sV1 & " <= " & $sV2 & @CRLF)
EndIf

; Make strings comapreable
$aV1 = StringSplit($sV1,".")
$aV2 = StringSplit($sV2,".")
For $iIndex = 1 To $aV1[0]
    $aV1[$iIndex] = StringFormat("%05s",$aV1[$iIndex])
Next
For $iIndex = 1 To $aV2[0]
    $aV2[$iIndex] = StringFormat("%05s",$aV2[$iIndex])
Next
$sV1New = _ArrayToString($aV1,".",1)
$sV2New = _ArrayToString($aV2,".",1)

If $sV1New > $sV2New Then
    ConsoleWrite($sV1 & " > " & $sV2 & @CRLF)
Else
    ConsoleWrite($sV1 & " <= " & $sV2 & @CRLF)
EndIf

A special treatment needs Firefox as this has version and language information combined.

Edited August 6, 2010 by water

[PeterPWN]

Edit: Lol just came up with that idea @Water

Well just < won't work.

I wrote a func to check my versions now, I hope that works:

func compareVersion($var, $var2)
    $test = StringSplit($var,".")
    $test2 = StringSplit($var2,".")

    For $i = 1 to $test[0]
        $ret = 0
        If number($test[$i]) > number($test2[$i]) Then
            $ret = 1
            ExitLoop
        ElseIf number($test[$i]) = number($test2[$i]) Then
        Else
            $ret = 2
            ExitLoop
        EndIf
    Next

    Return $ret
EndFunc

Edited August 6, 2010 by PeterPWN

[PeterPWN]

I checked with Firefox though but that still works fortunately

I still have a problem when it comes to this:

$ver = "3.5.8"

$ver2 = "3.5.8.3"

Edited August 6, 2010 by PeterPWN

[PeterPWN]

Ok My final function looks like this now:

func compareVersion($var, $var2)
    
    $aVar1 = StringSplit($var,".")
    $aVar2 = StringSplit($var2,".")

    If $aVar1[0] > $aVar2[0] Then
        $length = $aVar2[0]
    Else
        $length =$aVar1[0]
    EndIf

    For $i = 1 to $length
        $ret = 0
        If number($aVar1[$i]) > number($aVar2[$i]) Then
            $ret = 1
            ExitLoop
        ElseIf number($aVar1[$i]) = number($aVar2[$i]) Then
            If $aVar1[0] > $aVar2[0] Then
                $ret = 1
            ElseIf $aVar1[0] < $aVar2[0] Then
                $ret = 2;
            EndIf

        Else
            $ret = 2
            ExitLoop
        EndIf
    Next

    Return $ret
EndFunc

If someone knows a way how to auto update these Programs though I'm glad to hear it

[ibroadbent]

Thanks for this function, very handy for checking versions of Flash, Adobe Reader etc. when deploying s/w with SCCM (because data in SCCM database can lag a day or more behind what's actually on the PC.)

Minor rewrite of the function with comments:

#include <Math.au3>                             ; needed for _min function

func CompareVersion($var1, $var2)
; Function to compare number strings e.g. "5.20.3456" to "6.0.23" — Converts the string into an array
; returns 1 if first number is bigger (or same); returns 2 if second number is bigger
    $aVar1 = StringSplit($var1,".")                  ;split each version number string into an array of integers
    $aVar2 = StringSplit($var2,".")
    $length = _min($aVar1[0], $aVar2[0])          ; get the smaller number of array elements in the two version strings
    For $i = 1 to $length
        If number($aVar1[$i]) > number($aVar2[$i]) Then
            $ret = 1                                ; 1st string is later version
            ExitLoop
        ElseIf number($aVar1[$i]) < number($aVar2[$i]) Then
            $ret = 2                               ; 2nd string is later version
            ExitLoop
        Else                                       ; "i"th element is the same...
            $ret = 1
            If $aVar1[0] < $aVar2[0] Then $ret = 2   ; 2nd string is bigger if it has more elements and all previous elements are the same
        EndIf           ; keep looping if not at the lowest common no. of elements yet
    Next
    Return $ret
EndFunc

Edited November 21, 2012 by ibroadbent