prepare-release

name	prepare-release
description	Prepare a release for the Feature Management .NET SDK. Use when user mentions release preparation, version bump, creating merge PRs, preview release, or stable release for this project.

Prepare Release

This skill automates the release preparation workflow for the Feature Management .NET SDK project.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Bump the package version for a new stable or preview release
• Create merge PRs to sync branches (main → release, preview → release)
• Prepare all the PRs needed before publishing a new release

Background

Repository Information

• GitHub Repo: https://github.com/microsoft/FeatureManagement-Dotnet
• Packages (all 3 are released together with the same version):
  1. Microsoft.FeatureManagement — Base package
  2. Microsoft.FeatureManagement.AspNetCore — ASP.NET Core package
  3. Microsoft.FeatureManagement.Telemetry.ApplicationInsights — Application Insights telemetry package

Branch Structure

• main – primary development branch for stable releases
• preview – development branch for preview releases
• release/v{major} – release branch (e.g., release/v4)

Version Files

The version is defined by <MajorVersion>, <MinorVersion>, <PatchVersion>, and optionally <PreviewVersion> properties in all three .csproj files simultaneously:

1. src/Microsoft.FeatureManagement/Microsoft.FeatureManagement.csproj
2. src/Microsoft.FeatureManagement.AspNetCore/Microsoft.FeatureManagement.AspNetCore.csproj
3. src/Microsoft.FeatureManagement.Telemetry.ApplicationInsights/Microsoft.FeatureManagement.Telemetry.ApplicationInsights.csproj

Each file contains a version block like:

<!-- Official Version -->
<PropertyGroup>
  <MajorVersion>4</MajorVersion>
  <MinorVersion>1</MinorVersion>
  <PatchVersion>0</PatchVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

For preview versions, a <PreviewVersion> line is also present:

<!-- Official Version -->
<PropertyGroup>
  <MajorVersion>4</MajorVersion>
  <MinorVersion>0</MinorVersion>
  <PatchVersion>0</PatchVersion>
  <PreviewVersion>-preview5</PreviewVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Version Format

• Stable: {major}.{minor}.{patch} (e.g., 4.1.0)
• Preview: {major}.{minor}.{patch}-preview{N} (e.g., 4.0.0-preview5)

Quick Start

Ask the user whether this is a stable or preview release, and what the new version number should be. Then follow the appropriate workflow below.

---

Workflow A: Stable Release

Step 1: Version Bump PR

Create a version bump PR targeting main by running the version bump script:

.\scripts\version-bump.ps1 <new_version>

For example: .\scripts\version-bump.ps1 4.2.0

The script will automatically:

1. Read the current version from the first .csproj file.
2. Create a new branch from main named <username>/version-bump-<new_version> (e.g., linglingye/version-bump-4.2.0).
3. Update <MajorVersion>, <MinorVersion>, <PatchVersion> in all three .csproj files, and remove <PreviewVersion> if present.
4. Commit, push, and create a PR to main with title: Version bump <new_version>.

When the script prompts Proceed? [y/N], confirm by entering y.

Sample PR: https://github.com/microsoft/FeatureManagement-Dotnet/pull/540

Step 2: Merge Main to Release Branch

After the version bump PR is merged, create a PR to merge main into the release branch by running:

.\scripts\merge-to-release.ps1 <new_version>

For example: .\scripts\merge-to-release.ps1 4.2.0

When the script prompts Proceed? [y/N], confirm by entering y.

Important: Use "Create a merge commit" (not "Squash and merge") when merging this PR to preserve commit history.

Sample PR: https://github.com/microsoft/FeatureManagement-Dotnet/pull/541

---

Workflow B: Preview Release

Step 1: Version Bump PR

Create a version bump PR targeting preview by running the version bump script with the -Preview flag:

.\scripts\version-bump.ps1 <new_version> -Preview

For example: .\scripts\version-bump.ps1 4.0.0-preview4 -Preview

When the script prompts Proceed? [y/N], confirm by entering y.

Sample PR: https://github.com/microsoft/FeatureManagement-Dotnet/pull/476

Step 2: Merge Preview to Release Branch

After the version bump PR is merged, create a PR to merge preview into the release branch by running:

.\scripts\merge-to-release.ps1 <new_version> -Preview

For example: .\scripts\merge-to-release.ps1 4.0.0-preview4 -Preview

When the script prompts Proceed? [y/N], confirm by entering y.

Important: Use "Create a merge commit" (not "Squash and merge") when merging this PR to preserve commit history.

Sample PR: https://github.com/microsoft/FeatureManagement-Dotnet/pull/477

---

Review Checklist

Each PR should be reviewed with the following checks:

• Version is updated consistently across all 3 .csproj files
• No unintended file changes are included
• Merge PRs use merge commit strategy (not squash)
• Branch names follow the naming conventions
• All CI checks pass