[[TOC]]
= Releasing application versions =

The `update_versions` script releases new application versions. It creates database entries and copies files to the download directory.

To use:
 * In your project's apps/ directory, create a subdirectory for each application, with the short name of the application. Put new application files here (see below). `update_versions` scans these directories for new application versions.
 * From the project's root directory, run `./bin/update_versions`.

== Single-file application versions == #singlefile

File names must be of the form `NAME_VERSION_PLATFORM[__PLAN-CLASS][.ext]`, e.g.:
{{{
astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe
}}}
 * NAME is ignored; typically it is the app name.  It must not contain underscores.
 * VERSION is a string of the form N.M, where N and M are integers with M<100.  This is converted to the single integer N*100 + M, which is used to specify application versions elsewhere in BOINC. M may have a leading zero, which is ignored.
 * PLATFORM is the name of a [BoincPlatforms platform] in the database (if needed, add the platform to the DB using [XaddTool xadd]).
 * PLAN-CLASS is an optional [AppPlan plan class] for the app version.

The file in the example above would have the path
{{{
apps/astropulse/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe
}}}

== Multiple-file application versions == #multifile

Application versions can consist of multiple files, one of which is the main program. To create a multiple-file application version, create a directory '''with the same name as the main program''' (of the form `NAME_VERSION_PLATFORM[__PLAN-CLASS][.ext]`) and put the files in that directory.

If your application includes executable files other than the main file, make sure that their protection flags include the user execute (u+x) bit (`update_versions` will then set the `<executable/>` flag on its [XmlFormat#file_info <file_info>]).

Example:
{{{
apps/astropulse/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe/
apps/astropulse/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe
apps/astropulse/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe/some_required_file.dat
apps/astropulse/astropulse_7.17_windows_intelx86.exe/graphics_application.exe
}}}

== Passing extra information about files == #extrainfo

If a filename of the form
{{{
LOGICAL_NAME=PHYSICAL_NAME
}}}
is found, the file will have the given logical and physical names
(i.e., the application will be able to access the file
by passing the logical name to [BasicApi#filenames boinc_resolve_filename()]).

If a file of the form
{{{
FILENAME.sig
}}}
is found, its contents will be used as a digital signature for the corresponding file.
See the [CodeSigning recommended code-signing practices].

If a file of the form 
{{{
FILENAME.file_ref_info
}}}
is found, its contents will be added to the [BoincFiles#file_ref <file_ref>]
element describing the file (you can use this for attributes like [BoincFiles#file_ref <copy_file>]).

In the above 2 cases, if the file has a separate logical name,
then FILENAME is the full LOGICAL_NAME=PHYSICAL_NAME.

== Options to update_versions ==

 -v or --verbose:: Enable verbose mode
 -s or --sign:: silently sign executables (not recommended)
 -f or --force::  don't prompt before committing changes