Tracking solution version numbers

I recently had a long discussion with a colleague regarding package versions when deploying SharePoint features. After some investigation, it seems that the SharePoint object model does not contain a version number for solution, only a time of last update.

But... if you use the CodePlex SharePoint Installer it registers a version number using the configuration property SolutionVersion.

   1: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

   2: <configuration>

   3:     <appSettings>

   4:         <add key="BannerImage" value="Default"/>

   5:         <add key="LogoImage" value="None"/>

   6:         <add key="SolutionId" value="19D82049-1892-4d16-8E2B-FAF2327EDB99"/>

   7:         <add key="SolutionFile" value="Sample.wsp"/>

   8:         <add key="SolutionTitle" value="Sample"/>

   9:         <add key="SolutionVersion" value="1.1.0.0"/>

  10:     <add key="Require" value="MOSS" />

  11:         <add key="UpgradeDescription" value="Upgrades {SolutionTitle} on all frontend web servers in the SharePoint farm."/>

  12:         <add key="RequireDeploymentToCentralAdminWebApplication" value="true"/>

  13:         <add key="RequireDeploymentToAllContentWebApplications" value="false"/>

  14:     </appSettings>

  15: </configuration>

I then decided to extend the SharePoint Central Administration site screen "Solution Management" to show the version number.

First, add a server-side C# function within the file "Solutions.aspx" located within the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\ADMIN.

   1: <script runat="server">

   2:  

   3: public string GetVersion(string solution)

   4: {

   5:     try

   6:     {

   7:         Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm farm = Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPFarm.Local;

   8:         string key = "Solution_" + farm.Solutions[solution].Id.ToString() + "_Version";

   9:         return farm.Properties[key].ToString();

  10:     }

  11:     catch (System.NullReferenceException)

  12:     {

  13:         return string.Empty;

  14:     }

  15:     catch (Exception ex)

  16:     {

  17:         return ex.ToString();

  18:     }

  19: }

  20:  

  21: </script>

Next, extend the SPGridView with a template column as:

   1: <asp:TemplateField

   2:     HeaderText="Version">

   3:     <ItemTemplate>

   4:     <%#
   5:     GetVersion(Eval("ItemName").ToString()) 
   6:     %>

   7:     </ItemTemplate>    

   8: </asp:TemplateField>

You will now have a version column containing the solution version numbers added by the CodePlex SharePoint Solution Installer.