Python has a "build number" scheme on Unix-like systems that's hard to
explain:

Python 2.0b1 (#4, Sep  7 2000, 02:40:55) [MSC 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
              ^^
The build number there is "#4".

Each developer's unique build tree generates its own "build numbers",
starting at 0, and increasing by 1 each time a build is done in that tree.
These numbers are never checked in, or coordinated in any other way.  It's
just handy for a developer to distinguish among their own personal builds.

The makefile tricks used to accomplish this under Unix-like systems don't
work under MSDev.  Here we fake it by hand, but much less frequently, and
do check it in.  The build number only changes often enough to distinguish
releases from each other, and from the long "in between" stretches of CVS
development.  An account of all Windows BUILD numbers follows; when you
check in a new one, please add an entry to the top of the list.

How to change the Windows build number:

+ Right-click on getbuildinfo.c from within MSDev.  Select Settings ...
+ Select the General category of the C/C++ tab.
+ In "Settings For:" select "Multiple Configurations ...".
+ Check the "Win32 Release" and "Win32 Debug" boxes and click OK.
+ In the Preprocessor Definitions box, increment the number after BUILD=.
+ Click OK.
+ This is not enough to convince MSDev to recompile getbuildinfo.c,
  so force that and relink.
+ Verify that the new build number shows up in both release and debug
  builds.


Windows Python BUILD numbers
----------------------------
  56    2.4.0a3
        2-Sep-2004
  55    2.4.0a2
        4-Aug-2004
  54    2.4.0a1
        8-Jul-2004
  53    2.3.4 (final)
        27-May-2004
  52    2.3.4c1
        13-May-2004
  51    2.3.3 (final)
        19-Dec-2003
  50    2.3.3c1
        5-Dec-2003
  49    2.3.2 (final)
        3-Oct-2003
  48    2.3.2c1
        30-Sep-2003
  47    2.3.1 (final)
        23-Sep-2003
  46    2.3 (final)
        29-Jul-2003
  45    2.3c2
        24-Jul-2003
  44    2.3c1
        18-Jul-2003
  43    2.3b2
        29-Jun-2003
  42    2.2.3 (final)
        30-May-2003
  41    2.2.3c1
        22-May-2003
  40    2.3b1
        25-Apr-2003
  39    2.3a2
        19-Feb-2003
  38    2.3a1
        31-Dec-2002
  37    2.2.2 (final)
        14-Oct-2002
  36    2.2.2b1
        7-Oct-2002
  35    2.1.3 (final)
        8-Apr-2002
  34    2.2.1 (final)
        10-Apr-2002
  33    2.2.1c2
        26-Mar-2002
  32    2.2.1c1
        18-Mar-2002
  31    2.1.2 final
        16-Jan-2002
  30    2.1.2c1
        10-Jan-2002
  29    CVS development
        21-Dec-2001
  28    2.2 final
        21-Dec-2001
  27    2.2c1
        14-Dec-2001
  26    2.2b2
        16-Nov-2001
  25    2.2b1
        19-Oct-2001
  24    2.2a4
        28-Sep-2001
  23    2.2a3
        07-Sep-2001
  22    2.2a2
        22-Aug-2001
  21    2.2a1
        18-Jul-2001
  20    2.1.1
        20-Jul-2001
  19    2.1.1c1
        13-Jul-2001
  18    2.0.1
        22-Jun-2001
  17    2.0.1c1
        13-Jun-2001
  16    CVS development
        18-Apr-2001
  15    2.1 final
        16-Apr-2001
  14    2.1c2
        15-Apr-2001
  13    2.1c1
        12-Apr-2001
  12    2.1b2
        20-Mar-2001
  11    2.1b1
        28-Feb-2001
  10    2.1a2
        1-Feb-2001
   9    2.1a1
        17-Jan-2001
   8    2.0 (final)
        14-Oct-2000
   7    2.0c1
        07-Oct-2000
   6    2.0b2
        26-Sep-2000
   5    CVS development
        07-Sep-2000
   4    2.0b1 repaired to include Lib\xml + Lib\lib-old + Lib\test\*.xml
        07-Sep-2000
   3    2.0b1
        05-Sep-2000
   2    CVS development
   1    unused
   0    2.0b1p1 and 2.0b1p2
        01-Sep-2000 for both -- this scheme hadn't started yet