Transfer version information into your code and build environment.

0. Version enforcement

In a rush to patch a hot issue developers may deploy
a dirty codebase build. Dirty in a sense that the build
happens while there are changes to the code which are
not committed to the repository, even if local. If that
dirty build goes to production while source code gets
more changes before committing, one will never have
certainty why that production build behaves a certain
way should a problem arise.

A full write-up on files in this solution is at:

http://blog.didenko.com/2013/11/version-inventory.html

1. 1. pre-build event

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -File "$(SolutionDir)Util\Build\version_info.ps1" server "$(ProjectDir)\" "$(SolutionDir)\"

2. VC++ property sheet.props

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <ImportGroup Label="PropertySheets" />
  <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
  <PropertyGroup />
  <ItemDefinitionGroup>
    <PreBuildEvent>
      <Command>powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -File "$(SolutionDir)Util\Build\version_info.ps1" server "$(ProjectDir)\" "$(SolutionDir)\"</Command>
    </PreBuildEvent>
  </ItemDefinitionGroup>
  <ItemGroup />
</Project>

3. version_info.ps1

Param (
	[String]$Namespace,
	[String]$Project,
	[String]$GitRoot,
	[String]$HeaderFile="version.h",
	[String]$VerPrefix="https://github.com/<USER>/<REPO>/commit/"
)

Push-Location -LiteralPath $GitRoot

$VerFileHead = "`#pragma once`n`#include <string>`n`nnamespace $Namespace {`n"
$VerFileTail = "}`n"

$VerBy   = (git log -n 1 --format=format:"  const std::string VerAuthor=`\`"%an `<%ae`>`\`";%n") | Out-String
$VerUrl  = (git log -n 1 --format=format:"  const std::string VerUrl=`\`"$VerPrefix%H`\`";%n") | Out-String
$VerDate = (git log -n 1 --format=format:"  const std::string VerDate=`\`"%ai`\`";%n") | Out-String
$VerSubj = (git log -n 1 --format=format:"  const std::string VerSubj=`\`"%f`\`";%n") | Out-String

$VerChgs = ((git ls-files --exclude-standard -d -m -o -k) | Measure-Object -Line).Lines

if ($VerChgs -gt 0) {
  $VerDirty = "  const bool VerDirty=true;`n"
} else {
  $VerDirty = "  const bool VerDirty=false;`n"
}

"Written $Project\" + (
  New-Item -Force -Path "$Project" -Name "$HeaderFile" -ItemType "file" -Value "$VerFileHead$VerUrl$VerDate$VerSubj$VerBy$VerDirty$VerFileTail"
).Name + " as:"
""
Get-Content "$Project\$HeaderFile"
""

Pop-Location

4. version.h

#pragma once
#include <string>

namespace server {
  const std::string VerUrl="https://github.com/<USER>/<REPO>/commit/<SHA_WILL_BE_HERE>";
  const std::string VerDate="2013-10-22 15:00:00 -0700";
  const std::string VerSubj="properly-tested-commit-enforcement";
  const std::string VerAuthor="The Developer <dev@company.com>";
  const bool VerDirty=true;
}

5. version.cpp

#include "version.h"

void Server::versionLogAndVet() {

  Log::Info("Version Date: ",       server::VerDate);
  Log::Info("Version URL: ",        server::VerUrl);
  Log::Info("Version Info: ",       server::VerSubj);
  Log::Info("Version Author: ",     server::VerAuthor);
  Log::Info("Version Repo Clean: ", (server::VerDirty? "NO, it is DIRTY" : "yes" ));

#if defined(_DEBUG)
  Log::Info("Build configuration: DEBUG");

#elif defined(LOGGED)
  Log::Info("Build configuration: LOGGED");

#else
  Log::Info("Build configuration: RELEASE");

#endif

#if ! defined(_DEBUG)

  if (server::VerDirty)
  {
    Log::Error("Must NOT run production code build from a dirty repository. Server process STOPPED.");

    std::cerr << std::endl;
    std::cerr << "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" << std::endl;
    std::cerr << "Must NOT run production code build from a dirty repository." << std::endl;
    std::cerr << "STOPPED.    Press  Enter key  to exit  or close the window." << std::endl;
    std::cerr << "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" << std::endl;
    std::cerr << std::endl;

    exit(1);
  }

#endif

}