release-prep

name	release-prep
description	Prepare a new release of this Terraform module. Use when the user says things like "prepare a release", "prep version X.Y.Z", "get ready to tag a release", or "what do I need to do for the next release". Handles all release artifacts: examples, compatibility table, README, release notes, versions.tf, and module metadata.

Release Prep Skill — terraform-aviatrix-mc-spoke

This skill prepares all release artifacts for a new module version. Follow these steps in order.

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Step 1 — Confirm the target version

If the user hasn't specified the new version number, ask them before doing anything else. All subsequent steps depend on this. Example: "9.0.0"

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Step 2 — Determine the previous release tag

Run:

git tag | sort -V | tail -5

This gives you the last released tag (e.g. v8.2.0). Note: there may be a "prep" commit for a version that was never actually tagged — check COMPATIBILITY.md and compare with the tag list to determine the true last release. Use the last tagged version as the baseline for the changelog.

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Step 3 — Gather the changelog (changes since last tag)

Run:

git log <last-tag>..HEAD --oneline

Then for a more detailed diff of what actually changed in the module (ignore test fixtures, lock files, etc.):

git diff <last-tag>..HEAD -- variables.tf main.tf locals.tf output.tf versions.tf

From this, build a human-readable list of:

• New variables added (and which clouds they apply to)
• Variables removed or renamed (breaking changes)
• Bug fixes
• Provider/controller version bumps

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Step 4 — Decide if versions.tf needs updating

Only bump versions.tf if the new release requires a higher minimum Aviatrix controller or provider version due to new features or breaking changes. If the bump is purely additive with no new provider features, leave it alone.

The file to edit is versions.tf:

terraform {
  required_providers {
    aviatrix = {
      source  = "aviatrixsystems/aviatrix"
      version = ">= X.Y.Z"   # ← only change if necessary
    }
  }
  required_version = ">= 1.2.0"
}

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Step 5 — Update all example files

Every examples/*/main.tf file contains a version = "..." line. Update all of them to the new version:

find examples -name main.tf | xargs grep -l 'version ='

Then do a find-and-replace for the old version string → new version string across all of them.

Verify with:

grep -r 'version =' examples/

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Step 5a — Update external module references to latest compatible versions

Some examples reference other Terraform modules (e.g. mc-transit, mc-transit-peering, Azure/vnet/azurerm). These should be updated to their latest compatible versions at release time.

First, find all external module sources:

grep -rn 'source\s*=' examples/ | grep -v "mc-spoke" | sort -u

For each unique external module source, check its latest release on GitHub. The Aviatrix modules follow the pattern:

• terraform-aviatrix-modules/<module-name> → https://github.com/terraform-aviatrix-modules/terraform-aviatrix-<module-name>/releases/latest
• Azure/vnet/azurerm → https://github.com/Azure/terraform-azurerm-vnet/releases/latest

Compatibility check — do not blindly use the latest published release. All Aviatrix modules from v8.0.0 onwards use a >= provider constraint, meaning they are forward-compatible with newer provider versions unless a new major version introduces breaking changes. This means an older module version (e.g. mc-transit 8.2.0) will generally work fine alongside a newer provider (e.g. 9.0.0). Use the following logic:

• Default: use the latest published release of the referenced module. Because of forward compatibility, this is almost always correct.
• Only bump to an unreleased/upcoming version if you know the referenced module's new version introduces features or changes that are specifically required by this example (e.g. the example demonstrates a new feature that only works with both modules at the new major version). Confirm with the team in that case.
• Never assume that two modules releasing at the same major version number must reference each other at that version — that is only true if there is a functional dependency on the new features.
• For non-Aviatrix modules (e.g. Azure/vnet/azurerm), compatibility is governed by the Terraform/AzureRM provider, not the Aviatrix controller — use the latest release unless there is a known breaking change.

Then check the current pinned versions:

grep -rn 'version =' examples/ | grep -v '"<NEW_VERSION>"'  # replace with this module's new version

For each external module with a pinned version, update it to the correct compatible version. If a module has no version pin, add one.

Update both main.tf and README.md (or readme.md) within each example directory, as both files typically contain the same module blocks.

Verify all external module versions are up to date:

grep -rn 'source\s*=\|version\s*=' examples/ | grep -v "mc-spoke"

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Step 6 — Update COMPATIBILITY.md

Add a new row at the top of the table (below the header) in COMPATIBILITY.md:

v<NEW_VERSION> | >= 1.3.0 | >= <CONTROLLER_VERSION> | >= <PROVIDER_VERSION>

The controller version follows the major version number pattern (e.g. module v9.0.0 → controller >= 9.0, module v8.2.x → controller >= 8.2).

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Step 7 — Update README.md

The README has a single-row compatibility table near the top:

Module version | Terraform version | Controller version | Terraform provider version
:--- | :--- | :--- | :---
v8.2.1 | >= 1.3.0 | >= 8.2 | >= 8.2.0

Replace that single data row with the new version. The README only shows the current version; older versions live in COMPATIBILITY.md.

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Step 8 — Update RELEASE_NOTES.md

Add a new section at the very top (below the # terraform-aviatrix-mc-spoke release notes heading). Follow the established style — heading is ## <VERSION> with no v prefix, subsections use ### for named features.

Template:

## <VERSION>
### <Feature name>
<Description of what was added/changed and why. Call out which cloud(s) it applies to if not all.>

### <Bug fix or other change>
<Description.>

Do not include a "Version Alignment" or similar boilerplate section — just document the actual changes.

Use the changelog gathered in Step 3 as the source of truth. Group items logically — new features first, bug fixes after, breaking changes with a clear warning.

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Step 9 — Final verification

After all edits, confirm consistency by checking:

# Confirm example versions all match
grep -r 'version =' examples/

# Confirm COMPATIBILITY.md top row
head -6 COMPATIBILITY.md

# Confirm README.md compatibility row
grep -A1 'Terraform provider version' README.md | tail -1

# Confirm RELEASE_NOTES.md top section
head -20 RELEASE_NOTES.md

Report a summary of all files changed to the user, and remind them that the final step (not automated here) is to create and push the git tag:

git tag v<NEW_VERSION>
git push origin v<NEW_VERSION>