package-plugin

name	package-plugin
description	Package a SketchUp Ruby plugin into a .rbz file. Use when the user asks to package, build, release, or distribute a plugin. ALWAYS bump the version number before packaging.

Package Plugin

Steps

1. Determine which plugin to package — default is timmerman_skeleton_dimensions unless the user specifies otherwise. Plugins: timmerman_skeleton_dimensions, timmerman_sketchup_bridge.

2. Read the current version from the plugin's loader file:

   • Skeleton Dimensions: plugins/timmerman_skeleton_dimensions.rb — find EXTENSION.version = '...'
   • Bridge: plugins/timmerman_sketchup_bridge.rb

3. Bump the version — always bump before packaging (never repackage the same version):

   • Patch bump by default (e.g. 1.0.0 → 1.0.1), unless the user specifies a minor or major bump.
   • Update the version string in the loader file using StrReplace.

4. Run the packager:

   bash package.sh skeleton
   # or: bash package.sh bridge
   # or: bash package.sh   (builds all)
   

5. Update changelog — Each plugin has its own changelog:

   • Skeleton Dimensions: plugins/timmerman_skeleton_dimensions/CHANGELOG.md
   • Bridge: plugins/timmerman_sketchup_bridge/CHANGELOG.md

   Add an entry for the new version to the plugin's changelog. Follow Keep a Changelog format: ## [x.y.z] heading, then group changes under ### Added, ### Changed, ### Fixed, or ### Removed as appropriate. Focus on user-facing features only (what users see or get from the plugin), not internal refactors, dev tooling, or API docs. Place the new version at the top (below the header).

6. Tag and push — after committing the version bump and changelog, create a date-based release tag and push it so GitHub Actions builds the release:

   today=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
   last=$(git tag -l "release-${today}-*" | sort -t- -k4 -n | tail -1)
   n=$(( ${last##*-} + 1 ))  # defaults to 1 if none exist
   git tag "release-${today}-${n}"
   git push origin main --tags
   

   Tags use the format release-YYYY-MM-DD-N (e.g. release-2026-02-23-1). The count increments for multiple releases on the same day. The .github/workflows/release.yml workflow triggers on release-* tags, builds all plugin .rbz files, and attaches them to a GitHub Release.

7. Confirm — verify the new .rbz appears in dist/ locally, and tell the user the tag has been pushed (the GitHub Release will appear shortly).

Learnings (don't rediscover each time)

• dist/ is git-ignored. The .rbz file is never committed. When the user asks to "package and commit", commit the version-bumped loader, plugin source files, and updated CHANGELOG.md (see step 5). Do not add or commit anything under dist/; don't report that the .rbz wasn't committed as if it were an oversight.

• Packager command: bash package.sh skeleton builds only Skeleton Dimensions; bash package.sh bridge builds only the bridge; bash package.sh builds all. The script reads the version from the loader and writes dist/<plugin_id>-<version>.rbz.

Version bump rules

Change type	Which part to bump
Patch fix / tweak	patch (x.x.N)
New feature	minor (x.N.0)
Breaking change	major (N.0.0)

Default to patch when in doubt.