Adobe update number vs patch number

[Fred Ridder]

One distinction is that Adobe generally does not actually produce complete new releases of their software products for minor point releases and bug fixes. Rather, they issue patches that are applied to an installed copy of an underlying release version. Their practice has been to only refer to complete release versions by a major.minor.point numbering scheme, while the updaters (or patches) are identified by a p-prefix patch number. This is prefectly logical, since full releases and patches are fundamentally different kinds of software deliverables. 

Where things get murkier is what you will see in the About... window after you have installed an update or patch. Historically, Adobe has indicated the base release number followed by the patch number. But it appears that they are transitioning away from this in favor of displaying a major.minor.point version number which has to be cross-referenced against the patch number. They also seem to be transitioning their download website to the major.minor.point numbering for new downloads, but I suspect that the executables that one downloads are still named according to the patch number since decimal-delimted version numbers do not work well in filenames.

-Fred Ridder

> From: lea at astoria-pacific.com
> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Subject: RE: Adobe update number vs patch number
> Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:51:33 -0800
> 
> That's good to know, Shlomo. Thank you. As a person involved in the
> development and support of proprietary software, I find it incredible that
> the coders use different version numbers than the support team. It's such a
> simple thing that would eliminate the kind of confusion felt by Jeremy.
> Perhaps the Adobe reps who monitor this list might reconsider that aspect of
> the system.
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-
> > bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Shlomo Perets
> > Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:19 PM
> > To: Jenny Greenleaf
> > Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> > Subject: Re: Adobe update number vs patch number
> > 
> 
> <snip>
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 9.0.0 = 9.0p196
> > 9.0.1 = 9.0p230
> > 9.0.2 = 9.0p237
> > 9.0.3 = 9.0p250