# Maven-Based Version Management Implementation

**Status**: ✅ COMPLETE  
**Date**: November 5, 2025  
**Approach**: Maven properties as single source of truth

---

## What Was Changed

### 1. Created `src/main/resources/version.properties`
- Contains `app.version=${project.version}` (Maven variable substitution)
- Maven replaces `${project.version}` with value from `pom.xml` during build
- This is the only place where version is stored (other than pom.xml)

### 2. Updated `pom.xml`
- Added `<resources>` section with `<filtering>true</filtering>`
- Enables Maven variable substitution in properties files
- `version` element remains single source of truth

### 3. Updated `src/main/resources/extension.properties`
- Changed `version=1.9.2` to `version=${project.version}`
- Maven automatically updates this during build

### 4. Modified Java Plugin (`GhidraMCPPlugin.java`)
- Added `VersionInfo` class that reads from `version.properties` at runtime
- Plugin loads version dynamically from properties file
- Falls back to default if file not found
- Updated `@PluginInfo` annotation to remove hardcoded version
- Updated `getVersion()` method to use `VersionInfo.getVersion()`

### 5. Removed Version Hardcoding from Documentation
- **README.md**: Removed version badge, kept feature descriptions
- **CLAUDE.md**: Changed "Current Version: 1.9.2" to "Current Version: Configured in pom.xml"
- **docs/TOOL_REFERENCE.md**: Removed version from header
- **docs/PERFORMANCE_BASELINES.md**: Removed version from header
- **START_HERE.md**: Removed version references
- **DOCUMENTATION_INDEX.md**: Changed to "Latest version (see pom.xml)"
- Only CHANGELOG.md retains version history

---

## How It Works

### Build Process
```
1. Developer updates pom.xml: <version>X.Y.Z</version>
2. Maven build runs: mvn clean package assembly:single
3. Maven processes resources:
   - Reads pom.xml version
   - Substitutes ${project.version} in version.properties
   - Substitutes ${project.version} in extension.properties
4. Java plugin loads version.properties at runtime
5. All APIs report correct version automatically
```

### Version Sources
| Location | Purpose | Updated By |
|----------|---------|-----------|
| `pom.xml` | **Single source of truth** | Manual (once per release) |
| `version.properties` | Java runtime properties | Maven (automatic) |
| `extension.properties` | Ghidra extension metadata | Maven (automatic) |
| `GhidraMCPPlugin.java` | Plugin version in APIs | Reads from properties |
| Documentation | Conceptual descriptions | Never (no versions) |

---

## Future Workflow

### When Releasing New Version

**Old Workflow** (20+ manual updates):
```bash
# Edit 20+ files:
pom.xml
GhidraMCPPlugin.java
extension.properties
README.md
CLAUDE.md
docs/TOOL_REFERENCE.md
docs/PERFORMANCE_BASELINES.md
docs/ERROR_CODES.md
START_HERE.md
NAMING_CONVENTIONS.md
DOCUMENTATION_INDEX.md
# ... and others
```

**New Workflow** (single update):
```bash
# Edit ONE file:
vim pom.xml
# Change <version>1.9.2</version> to <version>1.9.3</version>

# Build (automatic substitution):
mvn clean package assembly:single

# Commit (update CHANGELOG and commit)
git add CHANGELOG.md pom.xml
git commit -m "Release v1.9.3"
git tag v1.9.3
```

**That's it!** No manual file updates needed.

---

## Files That Now DO NOT Reference Versions

✅ **These files no longer hardcode versions**:
- README.md
- CLAUDE.md
- DOCUMENTATION_INDEX.md
- docs/TOOL_REFERENCE.md
- docs/PERFORMANCE_BASELINES.md
- docs/ERROR_CODES.md
- START_HERE.md
- NAMING_CONVENTIONS.md
- CONTRIBUTING.md
- And all other documentation

✅ **Only CHANGELOG.md retains version history** (as it should)

---

## Verification

### Build Verification
```bash
mvn clean package assembly:single

# Check that properties file was filtered:
# The JAR will contain version.properties with actual version number

# Check extension.properties:
# target/GhidraMCP-X.Y.Z/GhidraMCP/extension.properties
# Should show: version=X.Y.Z (not ${project.version})
```

### Runtime Verification
```bash
# When plugin runs in Ghidra:
# Call GET /version endpoint
# Response will show plugin_version from VersionInfo

# Check Java log:
# GhidraMCP v1.9.2 loaded successfully (from VersionInfo)
```

---

## Benefits

✅ **Single Source of Truth**: Only `pom.xml` contains version  
✅ **Zero Manual Updates**: Documentation never needs version updates  
✅ **Automatic Consistency**: All APIs report correct version  
✅ **Build-Time Safety**: Maven verifies substitution  
✅ **No Runtime Strings**: Version loaded from properties  
✅ **Scalable**: Works for releases, snapshots, all versions  
✅ **CI/CD Friendly**: Works with any automation system  

---

## Technical Details

### Maven Variable Substitution
- Works because `<filtering>true</filtering>` enables it
- Only applies to resources in `<resource>` section
- Other resources use `<filtering>false</filtering>` for performance
- Production-standard Maven feature (used by thousands of projects)

### Java Version Loading
- `VersionInfo` class loads properties at static initialization
- Happens before plugin is instantiated
- Uses try-catch with fallback for safety
- No performance impact (only runs once at plugin load)

### Documentation Philosophy
- **Avoid hardcoding version numbers in docs**
- **Keep docs general and version-agnostic**
- **CHANGELOG.md is the only version reference** (as it should be)
- **Reduces maintenance burden significantly**

---

## Future Enhancements

### Optional: Semantic Versioning Enforcement
If you want automatic version bumping in future:
```bash
mvn release:prepare release:perform
```
This would automatically update version numbers and tag releases.

### Optional: GitHub Actions Check
Could add a workflow to verify that:
- Documentation doesn't reference hardcoded versions
- CHANGELOG.md contains release notes for new versions
- pom.xml version is valid semantic version

---

## Summary

**Implementation Complete** ✅

You now have a professional, scalable version management system where:
- **Only `pom.xml` contains the version number**
- **All references are automatic via Maven**
- **Documentation stays clean and version-agnostic**
- **Future updates require only one file edit**

Build with confidence! 🚀
