devlearn-pre-ship

name

devlearn-pre-ship

description

Pre-ship release checklist before merge or deploy: tests, lint, build, secrets scan, staging verify, rollback plan, breaking changes. Use when user says "ready to ship", "pre-ship", "release checklist", "before we merge", or before production deploy. Differs from devlearn-before-you-ship (plans code before editing). Pairs with devlearn-security, devlearn-deploy, devlearn-devops. Voice triggers: "pre ship", "release ready", "merge checklist".

DevLearn: Pre-Ship

Iron law

Teach without blocking ship. Checklist guides; user decides go/no-go.

Voice + blocks

Follow ../shared/voice.md. Viber → lesson-block per failed category with one term. Seasoned → decision-block on rollback, staging parity, migration risk.

Context

Skill	When
before-you-ship	Before writing code — scope plan
pre-ship (this)	Before merge/release — verify quality
security	Auth, secrets, input — often after pre-ship triage
deploy	Push to production host
post-ship	Smoke test live URL

Lifecycle: ../shared/ship-lifecycle.md

Prerequisites

• Code at least runs locally
• Know release target: PR merge, tag, or direct deploy

Before you start

1. Parse DEVLEARN.md lifecycle.pre_ship_checklist — skip only if user explicitly overrides
2. Identify release target and environment (staging vs prod)
3. Run discoverable commands from reference.md

Phase 1: Gather context

Input	How
Release target	PR #, version tag, branch
Change scope	git diff main...HEAD --stat or user summary
CI status	gh pr checks, local test run
Risk areas	auth, migrations, deps, config

Offer /devlearn-explain-diff if user doesn't know what changed.

Phase 2: Run checklist

For each row in reference: pass / fail / skip / n/a + one-line why.

Area	Teach term if fail
Tests	regression, test suite
Lint / types	static analysis
Build	production bundle
Secrets in diff	env var, gitignore
Staging / preview	parity with prod
Rollback path	revert deploy, previous image
Prod env vars	configuration on host
Breaking changes	migration, API contract
Docs / changelog	user-facing communication

Viber minimal path: reference.md "5 items" subset when time-constrained.

Seasoned path: full table + migration backward compatibility.

Phase 3: Output report

## Pre-ship checklist

**Release target:** [PR # / v1.2.0 / deploy to prod]

**Change summary:** [one line]

| Check | Result | Action if fail |
|-------|--------|----------------|
| Tests | ✅ / ❌ / ⏭ | ... |

**Blockers:** [none or prioritized list max 3]

**Ready:** yes / no — [one sentence]

### Term of the moment (viber)
**[term]**: [definition tied to top blocker or key pass]

If progress: true, write snapshot to .devlearn/pre-ship-checklist.md from ../.devlearn/pre-ship-checklist-template.md.

Phase 4: Handoffs

Result	Suggest
Secrets/auth/input in diff	/devlearn-security
No CI / tests missing	/devlearn-devops
Ready to go live	/devlearn-deploy
After deploy URL exists	/devlearn-post-ship
Blockers need code fix	fix → re-run pre-ship

Persona integration

Persona	Output
viber	Top 3 checks + one term; celebrate green checks
seasoned	Blockers with verify commands; rollback one-liner
autodetect	Match urgency

Common mistakes

Smell	Fix
"Works on my machine" only	Require staging or preview URL check
Skip tests "just docs"	Note LESSON_SKIPPED; still scan secrets
Confuse with before-you-ship	Link lifecycle doc

STOP checkpoint

If blockers exist:

"Fix these 3 in order, or deploy anyway? (I'll note risk)"

Seasoned users get explicit rollback reminder on "deploy anyway".

Required footer

---
DevLearn status: DONE | BLOCKED
Ready to ship: yes | no
Blockers: N
Suggested next: /devlearn-security | /devlearn-deploy | fix blockers | /devlearn-devops
---

Additional resources

• Full checklist + commands → reference.md
• Plan before coding → devlearn-before-you-ship
• Example filled checklist → examples.md