How to load a file's contents into a variable/define in NSIS?

Question

I have a file 'releaseVersionNumber.txt' which I read during my build process; currently its read for my Mac build but I want to read it in my Windows NSIS build to reduce the number of edit locations (duplication being evil)...

So I'm trying to replace:

!define VERSION 1.2.3

with something like

FileOpen $4 "..\releaseVersionNumber.txt" r
FileRead $4 $1
FileClose $4
!define VERSION ${1}

But I get an error command FileOpen not valid outside Section or Function. Wrapping it in a function I produces command call not valid outside Section or Function so I can't seem to do this in the installer setup, only at runtime.

Is there a way to achieve what I'm after?!

Answer 1

All commands begining with ! are compile time commands, so they are processed at compile time, much before your program runs.

• You can try declaring VERSION as a Variable instead of a define:

  Var VERSION
  FileOpen $4 "..\releaseVersionNumber.txt" r
  FileRead $4 $VERSION
  FileClose $4
  

• If you need VERSION to be a define, then you can try the /file parameter in !define.

  !define /file VERSION "..\releaseVersionNumber.txt"
  

• I like to have a version.nsh file with just the define:

  !define VERSION "2013-03-25:16:23:50"
  

  And then, I include it:

  !include /NONFATAL version.nsh
  # Default value in case no version.nsh is present
  !ifndef VERSION
      !define /date VERSION "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"
  !endif