Detect the .NET core version at runtime

[j82w]

Issue Title

Detect the .NET core version from a library.

General

I have a library that targets .NET standard 2.0. I need to log the .NET core version of the application using the library for telemetry and troubleshooting purposes. The RuntimeInformation.FrameworkDescription only returns the CLI version, but it works correctly for applications targeting .NET Framework.

Example:
RuntimeInformation.FrameworkDescription return ".NET Core 4.6.28008.01"

Is there any way to reliably get the .NET core version of the application?

[tannergooding]

Most of the APIs were updated in .NET Core 3.0 to report the product version rather than the file version: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/compatibility/2.2-3.0#apis-that-report-version-now-report-product-and-not-file-version

I do not recall if there is a "correct" way to detect the product version prior to 3.0

[j82w]

Is there any way to map the file version to a product version?

[akoeplinger]

RuntimeInformation.FrameworkDescription returns the product version since .NET Core 3.0.
Given the versions prior to that won't receive updates anymore you could check the file versions of each release and build a mapping table yourself.