electron: app.getVersion returns electron binary version instead of package.json field

Electron version: 1.3.3
Operating system: OSX El Capitan (10.11.5)

Just calling app.getVersion() and i’m getting electron’s binary version instead of version I set in my package.json (2-package.json structure).

Of course, my app/package.json has the version field:

{
  "name": "Name",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "productName": "ProdName",
  "description": "Desc Desc",
  "homepage": "https://github.com/oxcarga/ProdName",
  "license": ""
}

In Main process:

const {app} = require('electron')
app.on('ready', function () {
    console.log(app.getVersion())
})

Or, in Renderer process:

const {app} = require('electron').remote
console.log(app.getVersion(), app.getName())

In both places I get “1.3.3” (which is the version of electron I’m running)

According to docs:

app.getVersion() Returns the version of the loaded application. If no version is found in the application’s package.json file, the version of the current bundle or executable is returned.

Am I missing something?

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 8 years ago
Reactions: 8
Comments: 15 (1 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

In development the version returned by app.getVersion() depends on how you launched your app. If you launched it with electron path/to/app/package_dir the version will match the one in your package.json, however, if you launched your app with electron path/to/main.js then you’ll get the Electron version. This is because in the latter case Electron will actually read the package.json of the default app, which doesn’t specify a version, so it will default to the Electron version. Once you package your app the version will always be read from your package.json.

+63

enlight on Sep 4, 2016

you can also use process.env.npm_package_version

+37

farin on Aug 11, 2020

app.app.getVersion(); works for me, might be an error in the docs, or a problem with using the 2-package.json structure

+23

Kaibu on Sep 3, 2016

This is normal behaviour, you can check whether you’re in dev mode or in production, and, if you are, you can read from your native package.json file.

    let { currentVersion } = '';

    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
      currentVersion = require('../../../package.json').version;
    } else {
      currentVersion = require('electron').remote.app.getVersion();
    }

LoopsGod on Jul 15, 2020

Just require app via remote

const {app} = require('electron').remote

Kaibu on Jan 27, 2018

I had the same issue if i was using

electron index.js

This was probably bypassing package.json and thus was showing the electron version

I then changed start script in package.json to

electron .

and now it shows version from package.json

geek4teck on Dec 28, 2017

I am using Electron + Typescript, so the start script in my package.json is:

"start": "npm run build && electron ./dist/main.js"

When doing app.getVersion with Electron 9, I get electron’s version.

When using Electron 8.3.0, I get my package.json’ version, which is what I expect.

robsonhermes on May 27, 2020

Also seeing this happen. Is there a reason the issue was closed? It doesn’t seem to be resolved at all. I’m using electron-webpack, so the workarounds in this thread don’t work for me

kaitlynbrown on Nov 21, 2019