Automating Version Increment in a csproj File Using a Pre-Commit Hook

When working on software projects, maintaining an accurate version number in the csproj file ensures proper tracking of builds and releases. This guide explains how to automate the process of incrementing the patch version in a csproj file using a pre-commit hook.

Overview

The pre-commit hook ensures that every commit updates the version in the csproj file automatically. The following steps describe the implementation.

Step 1: Write the Pre-Commit Hook

The pre-commit file ensures the script is executed before each commit. Below is an example:

#!/bin/bash
./update_version.sh
git add example.csproj

This script calls update_version.sh to update the version and then stages the modified example.csproj file for the commit.

Step 2: Create the Version Update Script

The update_version.sh script parses the csproj file, increments the patch version, and updates the version in the file. Below is the script:

#!/bin/bash
csprojFile="example.csproj"
versionLine=$(grep -oPm1 "(?<=<Version>)[^<]+" "$csprojFile")

if [ -z "$versionLine" ]; then
    echo "Version node not found in the project file" >&2
    exit 1
fi

version="$versionLine"
IFS='.' read -r -a versionParts <<< "$version"
if [ ${#versionParts[@]} -lt 3 ]; then
    echo "Version format is incorrect. Expected format: major.minor.patch" >&2
    exit 1
fi

versionParts[2]=$((versionParts[2] + 1))
newVersion="${versionParts[0]}.${versionParts[1]}.${versionParts[2]}"
sed -i "s/<Version>$version<\/Version>/<Version>$newVersion<\/Version>/" "$csprojFile"
exit 0

Explanation of the Script

Locate the <Version> tag: The script extracts the version number using grep with a Perl-compatible regular expression (PCRE).
```
versionLine=$(grep -oPm1 "(?<=<Version>)[^<]+" "$csprojFile")
```
Validate the format: The script ensures the version follows the major.minor.patch format and handles errors if the tag is missing or misformatted.
Increment the patch version: The script splits the version string, increments the patch number, and constructs the new version.
Update the file: Using sed, the script replaces the old version in the csproj file with the new version.

Step 3: Make Scripts Executable

Ensure both scripts are executable by running:

chmod +x pre-commit update_version.sh

Step 4: Install the Pre-Commit Hook

Move the pre-commit file to the Git hooks directory:

mv pre-commit .git/hooks/pre-commit

Step 5: Test the Automation

Modify some files in your repository.
Stage the changes and commit.
```
git commit -m "Test version update"
```
Confirm that the example.csproj file’s version has been updated.

Conclusion

Using a pre-commit hook to automatically increment the version in your csproj file streamlines the process of maintaining consistent versioning. This ensures your build pipeline always operates on updated version numbers without manual intervention.