How to set HelpInfo XML version numbers

Note

Manual authoring of XML-based help is very difficult. The PlatyPS module allows you to write help in Markdown and then convert it to XML-based help. This makes it much easier to write and maintain help. PlatyPS can also create the Updateable Help packages for you. For more information, see Create XML-based help using PlatyPS.

The version numbers in a HelpInfo XML file are critical to the operation of Updatable Help. The Update-Help and Save-Help cmdlets download new help files only when the version number for a UI culture in the remote HelpInfo XML file is greater than the version number for that UI culture in the local HelpInfo XML, or there is no local HelpInfo XML file.

The HelpInfo XML file uses the 4-part version number that's defined in the System.Version class of the Microsoft .NET Framework. The format is N1.N2.N3.N4. Module authors can use any version numbering scheme that's permitted by the System.Version class. Updatable Help requires only that the version number for a UI culture increase when a new version of the CAB file for that UI culture is uploaded to the location that's specified by the HelpContentURI element in the HelpInfo XML file.

The following example shows the elements of the HelpInfo XML file for the German (de-DE) UI culture when the version is 2.15.0.10.

<UICulture>
  <UICultureName>de-DE</UICultureName>
  <UICultureVersion>2.15.0.10</UICultureVersion>
</UICulture>

The version number for a UI culture reflects the version of the CAB file for that UI culture. The version number applies to the entire CAB file. You can't set different version numbers for different files in the CAB file. The version number for each UI culture is evaluated independently and need not be related to the version numbers for other UI cultures that the module supports.