INFO: Naming Schema for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, the .NET Framework, and Visual J# Redistributable Software Update Packages

Microsoft has adopted a standardized naming schema for all software update packages for Visual Studio .NET, the .NET Framework, and the Visual J# Redistributable that Microsoft creates and distributes. The new naming schema will go into effect for all software update packages in May, 2003.

Note A software update is an executable (.exe) file that contains one or more files that you can apply to Visual Studio .NET or the .NET Framework to correct a specific problem. Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) distributes software update packages to customers who are severely affected by a specific problem. Publicly available updates are software update packages that Microsoft recommends for all customers. You can obtain these updates from the Microsoft Download Center, or from other Microsoft Web sites.

Microsoft has adopted the new naming schema for software update packages for the following reasons:

• It creates consistency across Microsoft software update packages.
• It improves the ability to search for software update packages and Microsoft Knowledge Base articles.
• It clearly notes the language of a software update package and the intended program when applicable.

This article contains additional information about the new standardized naming schema for software update packages.

New Schema for Naming Software Update Packages

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, the .NET Framework, and Visual J# Redistributable software update packages are named by using the following schema:


The following are examples of this schema:

• VS7.0-KB821309-X86-ENU.exe
• VS7.1-KB821309-X86-ENU.exe
• NDP1.0-KB123456-X86-DEU.exe
• JSR1.1-KB123456-X86-JPN.exe

The following list provides information about each attribute in the new naming schema:

• ProductName
  This attribute includes the full product name, including the product version information. For Visual Studio .NET, .NET Framework, and Visual J# .NET Redistributable software update packages, this attribute will be one of the following, respectively:
  • VS7.0 - Visual Studio .NET 2002 (all versions)
  • VS7.1 - Visual Studio .NET 2003 (all versions)
  • NDP1.0 - .NET Framework 1.0
  • NDP1.1 - .NET Framework 1.1
  • JSR1.0 - Visual J# Redistributable 1.0
  • JSR1.1 - Visual J# Redistributable 1.1
• KBArticleNumber
  This attribute indicates that an article exists in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. This attribute includes the ID number of the article that is associated with the software update package.
• Option (Optional attribute)
  This attribute differentiates between software update packages that address the same issue but are designed for different processors. These options include:
  • x86 (for 32-bit processors)
  • AMD64 (for x86-64bit AMD processors)
  • IA64 (for 64-bit Intel processors)
• Language
  This attribute uses the standard language name abbreviation that represents the product language version that the software update package is intended for. For example, ENU (for English), RUS (for Russian), and JPN (for Japanese).
  
  Note The abbreviation INTL is used if the software update package applies to multiple language versions. If the update package applies to all language versions, no standard language name abbreviation is used.
  
  For a complete list of standard language name abbreviations, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
  http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/nlsweb/default.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/nlsweb/default.mspx)