315242 - Nightly builds' version number 0.3a1+ sorts BEFORE 0.3a1, which sorts BEFORE 0.2+

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, defect)

Description

[gekacheka]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051025 Firefox/1.5
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.9a1) Gecko/20051105 Mozilla Sunbird/0.3a1+

In the current version numbering scheme, 0.3a1+ sorts BEFORE 0.3a1.
This is bad because current nightlies are AFTER 0.3a1.
This is a problem for giving accurate maxVersion in Sunbird extensions.

(Also note that "0.2+" is converted to "0.3pre" for sorting,
so "0.2+" sorts AFTER "0.3a1" because "p" > "a".  But no one should be using 0.2+ builds anymore.)  

Think of the version number as consisting of 'phrases' separated by '.'s, 
and each phrase consists of <number-a> [<string-b> [<number-c> [<string-d>]]]
http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Toolkit_version_format#Version_format

The version number comparator only treats "+" specially when it comes after the first number (number-a) in the word, not the second number (number-c) (presumably because '+' only appeared after the first number in the old version numbering scheme).
http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Toolkit_version_format#Version_format
["if string-b is a plus sign, number-a is incremented to be compatible with the Firefox 1.0.x version format: 1.0+ is the same as 1.1pre"]
var vc = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/xpcom/version-comparator;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIVersionComparator); vc.compare("0.2+","0.3pre")
returns 0, they are equal.

Since it is not treating '+' specially in "0.3a1+" it is sorting by the rule that an non-empty string always sorts BEFORE an empty string, 
so "0.3a" is before "0.3", and "0.3a1+" is before "0.3a1".
http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Toolkit_version_format#Comparing_version_parts

var vc = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/xpcom/version-comparator;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIVersionComparator); 
vc.compare("0.3a1","0.3a1+")
returns 1, so "0.3a1" is AFTER "0.3a1+"

So instead, I suggest nightly builds be numbered as "0.3a2-", which sorts before "0.3a2"
(It still sorts before "0.2+"="0.3pre", but no one should be using 0.2+ nightly builds any more.)


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
Create an extension 
a. with minVersion "0.2+" and maxVersion "0.3a1+"
b. with minVersion "0.3a1" and maxVersion "0.3a1+".
Try to install the extension in sunbird.
Actual Results:  
a. Error dialog from extension manager:
"Incompatible Extension:
<extension> could not be installed because it is not compatible with Sunbird 0.3a1+ (<extension> will only work with Sunbird versions from 0.2+ to 0.3a1+).

b. Error dialog from extension manager:
"Incompatible Extension:
<extension> could not be installed because it is not compatible with Sunbird 0.3a1+ (<extension> will only work with Sunbird versions from 0.3a1 to 0.3a1+).

The problem is "0.3a1+" < "0.3a1" < "0.2+"="0.3pre", so the maxVersion < minVersion in these examples, so the extension cannot install in any version.

Expected Results:  
Expected sunbird builds to have version numbers that the versionComparator sorts in chronological order.

Suggest using "0.3a2-" for nightlies after release "0.3a1".

Comment 1

[Michiel van Leeuwen (email: mvl+moz@)]

the x.ya1 scheme and the + for nightlies have been used for ages for mozilla apps. If toolkit doesn't understand that, then toolkit is broken.

Comment 2

[Michiel van Leeuwen (email: mvl+moz@)]

So, over to toolkit. (actually, to firefox, because toolkit doesn't have an extension manager component for some reason)

Comment 3

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Toolkit's not going to fix this, use 0.3a1 and 0.3a1.+ if you must