title: Bumping version numbers for new releases in associated files (documentation)
body: <p>I would be interested to in knowing how you out there handle the <em>bumping the version number</em> for new releases issue.</p>
  
  <p>How do you handle the version number in associated files like man pages, etc.</p>
  
  <p>The software is build with the gnu tool chain so autoconf, automake, etc are available and used for the version number of the application. So that information can be reused.</p>
  
  <p>git is used as a vcs.</p>
  
  <p>One possibility would be introduce an <em>extra, new</em> target in Makefile.am that does a sed/awk to replace version number and dates in all associated files. That target could be called once at the beginning (right after branching) of the development of a new release.</p>
  
  <p>Then the project could build with the correct information when people would do a <em>git clone</em> of the project or when a release tarball is done. Of course one has to remember to run this make target when starting development of a new release.</p>
  
  <p>Another option would be to do the sed/awk replacement with a hook for the dist target.But this would put the git repository of the project in a state were no correct version number is associated with the associated files.</p>
  
  <p>I prefer doing the first solution as it also records the <em>correct</em> version number inside the git history. </p>
  
  <p>When doing a sed/awk replacement do you prefer doing it "in-file" or with a template in-file liek the autoconf/automake tools do. I see both advantages and disadvantages in both methods.</p>
  
  <p>How do you handle <em>versioning</em> of associated files. Do you change them at the beginning of the development phase, do you change them when just before <em>shipping</em>, do you do infile replacement or do you prefer using a template?</p>
  
  <p>THX.</p>