Version Location

• You can find a program's version number in many different locations, depending on where a developer decides to put the information. You may see the version number on the main screen when the program is opened. The most common place for a version number of a program is found by viewing the program's About window. You can find the About window option for most programs by clicking on the Help drop-down menu. The About window will display copyright information along with the current version number of the program.
  
  

Numbers

• The most common type of versioning uses a numbering system. Developers who create and update software will use a specific type of numbering that indicates when an update or a patch has been released for a program. The typical numbering system uses three numbers, such as "Version 1.2.3." The "1" indicates the base version of the program. The "2" indicates a program update that does not change the base version. The "3" will indicate any patch updates or bug fixes to the program. Most program developers use this type of versioning rule to keep program changes in a chronological order.
  
  

Names

• Apple's versioning rules use a combination of names and numbers. You will see a new name for each major change to their operating system. For example, the fifth major update to their operating system OS X (where "X" is the Roman numeral for 10)---that is, version 10.5---is called Leopard. The next version, 10.6, will be called Snow Leopard.
  
  

Years

• Another type of versioning rule system involves using the year that a product is released or that a major update occurs. When a developer uses this type of versioning scheme, only the base version changes. You can see an example of this by viewing the current version of the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft uses a types of versioning rule that incorporates the year of the release along with any subsequent Service Packs. If you view the System Properties for Microsoft Windows XP, for example, the version should indicate Microsoft Windows XP Version 2002 Service Pack 3.