[PE] Add version information for executable files or dynamic library dlls under Windows platform

###Date: 2017/9/22
###Author : SoaringLee

  Usually we can see that in Windows executable files, the right-click properties contain information such as file version, file name and version. This article describes how to add these information.

Method 1: Create a resource file in the VS project and compile it

     This method is relatively simple. It is based on the VS project. The information of the file version is actually compiled through the resource file.

Method 2: Add version information to dll or exe in MinGW or Cygwin environment

1. Open cmd and enter:

call "%VS120COMNTOOLS%../../VC/vcvarsall.bat"
call "E:\ProfessionalSoftware\MinGW\msys\1.0\msys.bat"

Start the VS2010 compilation environment and the MinGW environment, here is to use the commands windres and rc commands.

2. Create a test.c file:

#include "stdio.h"
int add(int a, int b)
{
	return a + b;
}

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
	printf("********************");
}

3. Create the resource file Res.rc file:

1 VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION    0,1,22,33
PRODUCTVERSION 1,0,0,0
FILEFLAGS 0x1L
FILEOS 0x40004L
FILETYPE 0x1L
FILESUBTYPE 0x1L
BEGIN
   BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
   BEGIN
     BLOCK "080904E4"
     BEGIN
	VALUE "CompanyName", "My Company Name"
	VALUE "FileDescription", "My excellent application"
	VALUE "FileVersion", "6000"
	VALUE "InternalName", "my_app"
	VALUE "LegalCopyright", "My Name"
	VALUE "OriginalFilename", "my_app.exe"
	VALUE "ProductName", "My App"
	VALUE "ProductVersion", "6000"
     END
   END
   BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
   BEGIN
      VALUE "Translation", 0x809, 1252
   END

4. Compile the link, convert the resource file rc into a res file, and then link to the dll or exe

gcc -c test.c -o test.o
windres Res.rc -O coff -o obj.res
gcc -o test test.o obj.res

or:

cl -c test.c
windres Res.rc -O coff -o obj.res
link test.obj obj.res

Another method is to use the rc command to convert the res file to an rc file.

cl -DWIN64 -c obj.c -Foobj
rc -DWIN64 -fo obj.res obj.rc
link obj.obj obj.res

Ok, now you can right-click Properties to view the version information of the executable file.