How to compare software versions using SQL Server?

Question

When trying to compare software versions 5.12 to 5.8, version 5.12 is newer, however mathematically 5.12 is less than 5.8. How would I compare the two versions so that a new

Answer 1

I have created (with inspiration from Eva Lacy (above)), this function:

CREATE or alter function dbo.IsVersionNewerThan
(
    @Source nvarchar(max),
    @Target nvarchar(max)
)
RETURNS table
as 
/*
-1 : target has higher version number (later version)
0 : same
1 : source has higher version number (later version)

test harness:
; WITH tmp
AS
(
    SELECT '1.0.0.5' AS Version
    UNION ALL SELECT '0.0.0.0'
    UNION ALL SELECT '1.5.0.6'
    UNION ALL SELECT '2.0.0'
    UNION ALL SELECT '2.0.0.0'
    UNION ALL SELECT '2.0.1.1'
    UNION ALL SELECT '15.15.1323.22'
    UNION ALL SELECT '15.15.622.55'
)
SELECT tmp.version, isGreather from tmp
outer apply (select * from dbo.IsVersionNewerThan(tmp.Version, '2.0.0.0')) as IsG

*/ 
    return (
        select CASE 
            when cast('/' + @Source + '/' as hierarchyid) > cast('/' + @Target + '/' as hierarchyid) THEN 1 
            when @Source = @Target then 0
            else -1 
        end as IsGreather
    )
go

The test script is included as a comment. It works, as long as you do not have versions like '1.5.06.2' (note the zero).
SQL Server thinks this function has is_inlineable = 1, which bodes well for the performance.

Then my SQL code can look like this:

declare @version varchar(10) = '2.30.1.12'
set @version = '2.30.1.1'
if exists(select * from dbo.IsVersionNewerThan(@version,'2.30.1.12') where IsGreather >= 0)
BEGIN
    print 'yes'
end
else print 'no'