Repeated updates due to version number mismatch between installed app & App Store metadata

[Accademia]

Problem(s) addressed

The version number shown within the app is different from the version number listed on the App Store, which causes frequent update prompts.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sparrow-weather/id6449440582

6449440582 Sparrow Weather (3.8 -> 21)

Version （in App） ： 3.8

Version （In App Store） ：21

Proposed solution(s)

I hope there is a mechanism to resolve the issue of frequent update prompts caused by this version mismatch.

Alternative solution(s)

No response

Additional context

No response

[rgoldberg]

@Accademia I think this is a duplicate of #722. See #722 (comment) for my proposed solutions.

Can I close this as a duplicate of #722, or have I misunderstood something?

Thanks for the issue report.

[Accademia]

You’re welcome, and of course, thank you very much!

[rgoldberg]

@Accademia Actually, now that I look at the vastly different numbers (3.8 & 21), it might be a comparison of completely different properties. Can you run the following command line, and post the output in a comment on this issue? Thanks.

mdls "$(mdfind -onlyin /Applications 'kMDItemAppStoreAdamID == 6449440582')"

Also, if you could post a screenshot of the About Sparrow Weather dialog from the app's GUI menu, that might be helpful, too.

[rgoldberg]

@Accademia This looks like it could be another example of #668. Have you had a chance to run the command from #772 (comment)?

Thanks for any help.

[Accademia]

@Accademia Actually, now that I look at the vastly different numbers (3.8 & 21), it might be a comparison of completely different properties. Can you run the following command line, and post the output in a comment on this issue? Thanks.

mdls "$(mdfind -onlyin /Applications 'kMDItemAppStoreAdamID == 6449440582')"
Also, if you could post a screenshot of the About Sparrow Weather dialog from the app's GUI menu, that might be helpful, too.

Sir. thank you for your reply.

I had previously sent an email to the developer of that software, informing him about the issue with the version number. After reading my email, he replied and told me that the issue had been fixed in an update.

As a result, I can no longer access the data from when the problem occurred. The current data after executing the command is as follows:

% mdls "$(mdfind -onlyin /Applications 'kMDItemAppStoreAdamID == 6449440582')"
_kMDItemDisplayNameWithExtensions = "Sparrow Weather.app"
kMDItemAlternateNames = (
"Sparrow Weather.app"
)
kMDItemAppStoreAdamID = 6449440582
kMDItemAppStoreCategory = "天气"
kMDItemAppStoreCategoryType = "public.app-category.weather"
kMDItemAppStoreHasReceipt = 1
kMDItemAppStoreInstallerVersionID = "874121498"
kMDItemAppStoreIsAppleSigned = 1
kMDItemAppStoreParentalControls = "4+"
kMDItemAppStorePurchaseDate = 2025-04-18 12:16:09 +0000
kMDItemAppStoreReceiptIsMachineLicensed = 0
kMDItemAppStoreReceiptIsRevoked = 0
kMDItemAppStoreReceiptIsVPPLicensed = 0
kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType = "Production"
kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier = "com.cakeandbucket.sparrow"
kMDItemContentCreationDate = 2025-04-17 20:13:08 +0000
kMDItemContentCreationDate_Ranking = 2025-04-17 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate = 2025-04-18 12:16:14 +0000
kMDItemContentType = "com.apple.application-bundle"
kMDItemContentTypeTree = (
"com.apple.application-bundle",
"com.apple.application",
"public.executable",
"com.apple.localizable-name-bundle",
"com.apple.bundle",
"public.directory",
"public.item",
"com.apple.package"
)
kMDItemCopyright = "2023 © Cake & Bucket"
kMDItemDateAdded = 2025-04-18 12:16:14 +0000
kMDItemDescription = ""
kMDItemDisplayName = "Sparrow Weather.app"
kMDItemDocumentIdentifier = 0
kMDItemExecutableArchitectures = (
arm64,
"x86_64"
)
kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = 2025-04-18 12:16:14 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate = 2025-04-17 20:13:08 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = 1
kMDItemFSIsStationery = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel = 0
kMDItemFSName = "Sparrow Weather.app"
kMDItemFSNodeCount = 1
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID = 0
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID = 0
kMDItemFSSize = 3454302
kMDItemFSTypeCode = ""
kMDItemInterestingDate_Ranking = 2025-04-19 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemKeywords = ""
kMDItemKind = "应用程序"
kMDItemLastUsedDate = 2025-04-19 12:24:09 +0000
kMDItemLastUsedDate_Ranking = 2025-04-19 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemLogicalSize = 3454302
kMDItemPhysicalSize = 3198976
kMDItemUseCount = 2
kMDItemUsedDates = (
"2025-04-17 16:00:00 +0000",
"2025-04-18 16:00:00 +0000"
)
kMDItemVersion = "23"

[rgoldberg]

@Accademia Thanks for the info. I'm closing this as a duplicate of #668. If you think this is different, please let me know so I'll reopen this.

Unfortunately, there probably is no easy way to completely avoid this issue the first time around, but there are ways to avoid subsequent repetition of the issue. I'm investigating Apple private frameworks to completely redo knowing when an app is outdated; if I can find working Apple code that provides this functionality, this problem, along with other problems, might have a nice solution, but it will probably take some time to find any Apple-provided solution.