Version

A simple yet powerful C++ command-line tool for compiling, running, and releasing your projects.
Originally called versiontool, this project has evolved into a robust utility that I regularly use to manage my builds and project releases.

Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Requirements
3. Installation
4. Usage
   • General Help
   • Compile
   • Run
   • Release
   • Config
5. Configuration (.versiontool)
6. Contributing
7. License

Features

• Compile and Run: Easily compile your source code and execute it with optional arguments.
• Release Management: Create a new version release folder along with an optional installer package if an Inno Setup (ISS.iss) file is present.
• Configuration File: Store file paths, compile commands, aliases, and more in a dedicated .versiontool file.
• Smart Execution: Automatically detect output file names from common compiler flags (like -o or /out:).
• Alias Support: Generate .bat alias scripts, making it simpler to call your executable with arguments.
• Colorful Console Output (Windows): Uses Windows API to enable virtual terminal colors.

Requirements

• Operating System: Primarily tested on Windows (uses Windows-specific headers and commands).
• Compiler: A C++17 (or later) compiler.
• Inno Setup (optional): Only required if you want to build an installer via release and you have an ISS.iss file.
• CMake or Visual Studio project (optional): This tool is compiled in any environment supporting standard C++17 or later.

Note: The application depends on Windows console commands (like cmd /c, taskkill, etc.) and certain Windows APIs (like GetModuleFileNameW). It may require additional modifications to work on other platforms.

Installation

1. Clone this Repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/version.git
   cd version

2. Build the Executable

   • Using a Visual Studio project: Import the files into your project and build in Release mode.
   • Using CMake (example):

     mkdir build && cd build
     cmake ..
     cmake --build . --config Release

   • Or simply compile from the command line (Windows example):

     cl /std:c++17 /EHsc main.cpp /Fe:version.exe

3. Place the Executable in Your PATH (optional)

   • Copy the generated version.exe to a folder that’s in your system PATH, or
   • Update your PATH environment variable to include the folder where version.exe is located.

Usage

Below are the essential commands and options. After building, use version [command] [options].

General Help

version --help

Displays usage instructions, available commands, and options.

Compile

version compile [--run/-r] [--args/-a "command args"] [COMMAND]

• version compile uses the compile command specified in .versiontool by default.
• --run / -r immediately runs the compiled program.
• --args / -a passes arguments to the program when running.
• COMMAND if provided, overrides the default compile command in .versiontool.

Run

version run [PATH_TO_EXE] [ARGS]

• Runs an executable.
• If no path is specified, it attempts to run the output from the compile command defined in .versiontool.

Release

version release [VERSION_NAME]

• Creates a new version directory under Versions/.
• Compiles the project, copies the compiled binaries and any files/directories listed in .versiontool to the newly created version folder.
• If an ISS.iss file is present, it updates the version in that file, attempts to build an installer, and copies the resulting -Setup.exe to the new version folder.

Config

version config

• Displays the contents of your .versiontool config file.

version config --raw

• Opens .versiontool in your default text editor (attempts VS Code, Vim, and Notepad, in that order).

Configuration (.versiontool)

This tool relies on a config file named .versiontool in the same directory as the executable or in your project’s root folder. It typically contains sections:

1. Files and directories included in version:
   List every file or directory to copy to the release folder.

   Files and directories included in version:
   [file or folder path 1]
   [file or folder path 2]
   ----------
   

2. Compile command:
   A single line specifying how to compile your project.

   Compile command:
   cl /std:c++17 /EHsc main.cpp /Fe:MyProgram.exe
   ----------
   

3. Alias:
   Each alias line creates a corresponding .bat file in the release folder pointing to your compiled exe.

   Alias:
   myprogram
   another_alias
   ----------
   

Note: If .versiontool does not exist, the tool will prompt you to create one.

Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch for your feature/fix
3. Commit your changes and submit a Pull Request

If you find a bug or have a suggestion, feel free to open an issue with details and steps to reproduce.

License

see License