4 ms·

I think that a lot of projects already do this. In particular windows : Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7,8,9,10 are all external version numbers.

moron4hire 6y ago
Additionally, they have all of GP's suggested functions.
rpastuszak 6y ago
What’s win 9? I thought 9 was the internal version of 10.
- TehCorwiz 6y ago
  Some software used to check that the version name string started with "Windows 9" to determine if it was running on a "Windows 98" or "Windows 95" system as opposed to 3.x, NT, XP, etc. Yes, there are internal major and minor version numbers available, however that didn't stop people. Ergo, jumping straight to "Windows 10" which would cause software that did this to find "Windows 1" in the string triggering a message like "This program requires at least Windows 95..." or whatever instead of immediately crashing because it made a system call to an API that hasn't existed for 10 years. Or worse, silently corrupting data because of other OS API changes.
  - fomine3 6y ago
    Windows doesn't provide API to get OS product name IIRC but Java provides "os.name" property that returns like "Windows 95". That's bad api to check version but some Java apps use it. https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk-jdk11u/blob/7b9323b12d3c362d88c9de35875c4f320c67b044/src/java.base/windows/native/libjava/java_props_md.c#L486 https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk-jdk11u/blob/7b9323b1...
    - TehCorwiz 6y ago
      That's probably what I was remembering.
- Kipters 6y ago
  AFAIK it was Windows 8.2. I came across some early SDK that used both "Threshold" (Win10 codename) and Windows 8.2
MikeHolman 6y ago
This is somewhat true, but Windows is a perfect example of this not working. There was no Windows 9, because of fear of people using the Windows string name to detect Windows 95/98 (or at least that is the prominent theory).
- mattkevan 6y ago
  Ah, that makes sense. I thought it was because they wanted to go to 10, like Mac OS X. Same as the Xbox 360 was called that because they didn’t want to bring out the Xbox 2 when Sony was bringing out the PS3.
  - deberon 6y ago
    That doesn’t explain the naming of Xbox One though.
    - mortenjorck 6y ago
      That name was chosen for the console’s original (if largely abandoned) vision of being a single hub for gaming, live TV, and streaming: https://www.vg247.com/2013/05/28/xbox-one-microsoft-exec-explains-consoles-name/ https://www.vg247.com/2013/05/28/xbox-one-microsoft-exec-exp...
      - Kipters 6y ago
        It also ties in with Microsoft's "One" line of names: OneDrive, OneNote, OneCore etc
  - peterburkimsher 6y ago
    I also thought it was because of TenVer! "Windows 9x" makes more sense. https://github.com/cube-drone/tenver https://github.com/cube-drone/tenver Like Spinal Tap, now it's time that this one goes to 11.
- ytch 6y ago
  Yes, Microsoft skips windows 9 because some code use "Windows 9" for windows 95/98: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2hwlrk/new_windows_version_will_be_called_windows_10/ckwq83x/ https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2hwlrk/new_wind...

moron4hire 6y ago

Additionally, they have all of GP's suggested functions.

rpastuszak 6y ago

What’s win 9? I thought 9 was the internal version of 10.

TehCorwiz 6y ago
Some software used to check that the version name string started with "Windows 9" to determine if it was running on a "Windows 98" or "Windows 95" system as opposed to 3.x, NT, XP, etc. Yes, there are internal major and minor version numbers available, however that didn't stop people. Ergo, jumping straight to "Windows 10" which would cause software that did this to find "Windows 1" in the string triggering a message like "This program requires at least Windows 95..." or whatever instead of immediately crashing because it made a system call to an API that hasn't existed for 10 years. Or worse, silently corrupting data because of other OS API changes.
- fomine3 6y ago
  Windows doesn't provide API to get OS product name IIRC but Java provides "os.name" property that returns like "Windows 95". That's bad api to check version but some Java apps use it. https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk-jdk11u/blob/7b9323b12d3c362d88c9de35875c4f320c67b044/src/java.base/windows/native/libjava/java_props_md.c#L486 https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk-jdk11u/blob/7b9323b1...
  - TehCorwiz 6y ago
    That's probably what I was remembering.
Kipters 6y ago
AFAIK it was Windows 8.2. I came across some early SDK that used both "Threshold" (Win10 codename) and Windows 8.2

MikeHolman 6y ago

This is somewhat true, but Windows is a perfect example of this not working. There was no Windows 9, because of fear of people using the Windows string name to detect Windows 95/98 (or at least that is the prominent theory).

mattkevan 6y ago
Ah, that makes sense. I thought it was because they wanted to go to 10, like Mac OS X. Same as the Xbox 360 was called that because they didn’t want to bring out the Xbox 2 when Sony was bringing out the PS3.
- deberon 6y ago
  That doesn’t explain the naming of Xbox One though.
  - mortenjorck 6y ago
    That name was chosen for the console’s original (if largely abandoned) vision of being a single hub for gaming, live TV, and streaming: https://www.vg247.com/2013/05/28/xbox-one-microsoft-exec-explains-consoles-name/ https://www.vg247.com/2013/05/28/xbox-one-microsoft-exec-exp...
    - Kipters 6y ago
      It also ties in with Microsoft's "One" line of names: OneDrive, OneNote, OneCore etc
- peterburkimsher 6y ago
  I also thought it was because of TenVer! "Windows 9x" makes more sense. https://github.com/cube-drone/tenver https://github.com/cube-drone/tenver Like Spinal Tap, now it's time that this one goes to 11.
ytch 6y ago
Yes, Microsoft skips windows 9 because some code use "Windows 9" for windows 95/98: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2hwlrk/new_windows_version_will_be_called_windows_10/ckwq83x/ https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2hwlrk/new_wind...