# Versioning in the IFC-file

**URL:** <https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/versioning-in-the-ifc-file/2796>\
**Category:** Developers\
**Created:** [June 21, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/versioning-in-the-ifc-file/2796 "2020-06-21T12:26:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jan\_erik\_hoel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@jan\_erik\_hoel](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/jan_erik_hoel)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/versioning-in-the-ifc-file/2796/1 "2020-06-21T12:26:35Z")

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In Norway the IFC-format is approved as a national archive format for BIM-models.  
This approval leads to requirement for a strict format versioning regime.

For a typical IFC-file the format version is given like this (from Archicad):

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/buildingsmart1/original/2X/b/bcc588a79c8777cbca62c5283322deea8439b270.png)

But we need to know if it is IFC 4.0.2.1, IFC 4.1.0.0, IFC 4.2.0.0 or IFC 4.3.rc.1 e.g.

Is the requirement for writing the FULL format version into the IFC-file missing in the IFC-standard or is it just neglected by the software vendors?

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**Author:** ![Moult](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.buildingsmart.org/moult/32/196_2.png) [@Moult](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/Moult)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/versioning-in-the-ifc-file/2796/2 "2020-06-21T23:02:42Z")

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I have seen a list of schema identifiers in IfcOpenShell: [https://github.com/IfcOpenShell/IfcOpenShell/blob/f01ae4a45b3fc294ab5bcd4de494cc446ac587dc/cmake/CMakeLists.txt#L462](https://github.com/IfcOpenShell/IfcOpenShell/blob/f01ae4a45b3fc294ab5bcd4de494cc446ac587dc/cmake/CMakeLists.txt#L462)

```auto
set(SCHEMA_VERSIONS "2x3" "4" "4x1" "4x2" "4x3_rc1")

```

I don’t know if they are official buildingSMART ones, or specific to IfcOpenShell.

If buildingSMART does indeed have a list of official identifiers, then indeed, perhaps the vendors are just neglecting them or are unaware 🙂 Would be interested to know the answer too!

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**Author:** ![Steffen.Rabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Steffen.Rabe](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/u/Steffen.Rabe)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2020, 11:15am UTC](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/versioning-in-the-ifc-file/2796/3 "2020-06-25T11:15:27Z")

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Had the same question [https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/file-schema-vs-schema-version/2750](https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/file-schema-vs-schema-version/2750)