When we build any Web Dynpro Project from the NWDS perspective, an ear file for the project is created. This ear file is deployed on the server.if we are not using NWDI or any other version management tool , we might need to know the date and the time when this ear was created.This would be needed especially in the case when we keep doing changes in the project. With each new build we have a new ear. Hence, in the end we would have multiple ears for the same project, spread across time.Typically the ear file’s name contains the info about when that particular version of the ear file was created.But if the information is not there . we can know the same by looking inside the contents of an ear file. We can extract the contents of an ear file by changing its extension from .ear to .zip. On navigating one level inside the folder we have the META-INF folder which contains the SAP_MANIFEST.MF file. This file can be opened via the notepad.
If we look at the various properties defined in the SAP_MANIFEST.MF file, we will find a parameter called 'counter" or 'keycounter'. The value of this parameter helps us to determine the date-time of the creation the particular version of the ear file.
Suppose the SAP_MANIFEST.MF has the parameter ‘keycounter ‘ as keycounter: 0.2010.05.17.07.43.22 It tells us that the particular version of the ear file was created on -Date Year 2010 Month 05 Day 17
Time Hour 07 Minute 43 Second 22Suppose the SAP_MANIFEST.MF has the parameter ‘counter ‘ instead of ‘keycounter’ and has its value listed as counter="20100511 120533"'It tells us that the particular version of the ear file was created on -Date Year 2010 Month 05 Day 11
Time Hour 12 Minute 05 Second 33This information gives us the date and time when the particular version of the ear file was created.
