I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 7a03b55

FWIW https://invalidate-cache.dgrammatiko.dev v0.0.10 supports this 4.2 feature

I don't think so that nowadays writing a cache file with our cache setup is faster than a db call. But I like the new possibility to regenerate the media version by clearing the cache.

having it cached instead in the database is much better, but what I think is that the thing is conceptional wrong isn't? I mean we still add the cms version to external libraries right?

we still add the cms version to external libraries right?

yes, and no, when WebAsset have a defined version, then it will be used instead of our MediaVersion.
Example this one (from media/vendor/joomla.asset.json):

{
      "name": "awesomplete",
      "type": "script",
      "uri": "vendor/awesomplete/awesomplete.min.js",
      "attributes": {
        "defer": true
      },
      "package": "awesomplete",
      "version": "1.1.5"
 },

Will be as media/vendor/awesomplete/js/awesomplete.min.js?1.1.5

@HLeithner just to add to what @Fedik said about the static version number:

• external js/css (eg package.json dependencies) get a static version per their actual version used in the package.json
• Most of the Joomla owned js/css get also a static version, a hash of the content of the file with https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/blob/4.1-dev/build/build-modules-js/versioning.es6.js

The only exceptions, that still use the media version string are:

• templates
• any script or stylesheet that is added programmatically with WAM (eg without loading a relative joomla.asset.json file)
• all the legacy HTMLHelper::script/stylesheet/etc that have an option for version
• the legacy $doc->sddScriptVersion and $doc->addStylesheetVersion methods
• almost anything 3rd PD

The templates in order to use a file content hash based version need some adjustment in the com_templates file editing view (didn't do that with child templates as it was getting to complicated for the testing)
The sporadic files (mainly in the plugins IIRC) just need a joomla.asset.json file and adjusting the way they are imported.

I hope this clears things up

I have tested this item ✅ successfully on 7a03b55

RTC

Thanks!