What do build numbers and strings mean?

[budan]

When people post information about build strings they post things like:

6.1.7077.0.winmain.090404-1255

What does that mean exactly? 6.1 is the kernel number, 7077 is build, and does the last part mean April 4th 2009 at 12:55?

Or does the build number mean something else to do with dates?

 

[Thrax]

You're exactly right.