How a single Python script eliminated manual version-bump errors across five files

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A desktop app developer discovered that updating a version number required manually editing five different files in different formats, including Python, INI, JSON, and PHP. During one release, the Windows installer definition file was accidentally left with the old version number, and the mistake was only caught by a visual spot-check rather than any automated process. To fix this, the developer created a centralized Python script, bump_version.py, that updates all five files in one command using regex-based pattern matching. The script also includes a --check mode that reads the version from a single source of truth and flags any inconsistencies across the other files. This verification step was embedded directly into the build pipeline, ensuring the build automatically fails before signing or distribution if any file carries a mismatched version number.

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