dotNetTips.com Version Sync

Version Sync keeps AssemblyVersion, FileVersion, and Version in sync across every project in your Visual Studio solution — automatically.

The Problem

Multi-project solutions often drift: one project ships as 2.3.1.1, another as 2.2.0.1, and your .nuspec says 2.1.0.3. Tracking them down manually wastes time and causes packaging headaches.

The Solution

Version Sync gives you a single source of truth for version numbers. Choose a sync mode, and the extension handles the rest — on every build or on demand.

Features

Feature	Description
Auto-Increment on Build	Automatically bumps the version each time you build. Choose which component to increment: Major, Minor, Patch, or Revision. Optionally limit auto-increment to Release builds only (non-Release builds still sync without incrementing).
Master Project Mode	Designate one project as the version source; all other projects follow its version.
Directory.Build.props Support	Detects and updates centralized version properties in `Directory.Build.props` so SDK-style solutions stay consistent.
SDK & Legacy Project Support	Works with both SDK-style (`.csproj`) and legacy .NET Framework projects (`AssemblyInfo.cs`).
VSIX Manifest Sync	Updates `source.extension.vsixmanifest` so your extension version matches the solution version.
NuSpec Sync	Finds standalone `.nuspec` files and updates their version element.
Version Report	Generates a read-only report of every project's current version, written to the Output window.
Exclude Patterns	Skip projects that should not be versioned using glob-style patterns (test projects, samples, etc.).
Configuration Dialog	A WPF dialog to view all project versions, choose sync mode, set increment strategy, and save settings — all without leaving the IDE.
First-Run Auto-Detection	When you open a solution that has no Version Sync settings, the configuration dialog opens automatically and seeds the version from the highest version found across your projects.
Per-Repository Settings	Settings are stored in a `.versionsync` JSON file at the repository root, so every team member shares the same configuration via source control.

Supported Visual Studio Editions

Visual Studio 2022 Community, Professional, and Enterprise (17.x)
Visual Studio 2026 Community, Professional, and Enterprise (18.x)

Getting Started

Install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
Open a solution.
First-run: If no .versionsync settings file exists, the configuration dialog opens automatically with the version pre-populated from your projects.
Manual configuration: Go to Build → Version Sync → Configure... to open the configuration dialog at any time.
Choose a Sync Mode:
- Auto-Increment — the extension manages the version and bumps it on each build based on the selected increment strategy (Major, Minor, Patch, or Revision).
- Master Project — right-click a project in Solution Explorer and select Set as Version Master. All other projects will receive that project's version.
Optionally configure:
- Increment on Build — enable or disable automatic version bumping on build.
- Release Builds Only — restrict auto-increment to Release configuration builds (non-Release builds still sync versions without incrementing).
- Exclude Patterns — glob-style patterns to skip specific projects from version synchronization.
Click Save. From now on, every build keeps your versions aligned.

Commands

All commands are located under the Build menu in Visual Studio.

Menu Path	Command	What It Does
Build → Version Sync	Sync Versions Now	Immediately syncs and increments all project versions based on your saved settings.
Build → Version Sync	Configure...	Opens the configuration dialog to view project versions, choose sync mode, set increment strategy, and save settings.
Build → Version Sync	Version Report	Generates a version summary for all projects and writes it to the Output window.
Solution Explorer (project context menu)	Set as Version Master	Designates the selected project as the version source and switches to Master Project mode.

Settings File

Version Sync stores its configuration in a .versionsync JSON file at the repository root. This file includes:

version — the current version string applied to all projects
syncMode — AutoIncrement or MasterProject
incrementStrategy — Major, Minor, Patch, or Revision
incrementOnBuild — whether to auto-increment on build
releaseBuildsOnly — whether to restrict incrementing to Release builds
masterProjectRelativePath — the relative path to the master project (when using Master Project mode)
excludePatterns — glob-style patterns for projects to skip

Commit this file to source control so the entire team shares the same version configuration.

Feedback & Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please email David at dotnetdave@live.com.

Version Sync (Preview)

David P McCarter - dotNetTips.com