release

name	release
description	Handles the full release lifecycle for the Dropshipzone WordPress plugin — version bumping, changelog management, file updates, build creation, git tagging, and pushing. Use when the user asks to release, publish, version bump, tag, ship, or cut a new version.

Release Skill — Dropshipzone Plugin

This skill automates the complete release workflow for the DropshipZone Sync WordPress/WooCommerce plugin. It covers version bumping, multi-file version updates, changelog formatting, zip build creation, git commit/tag, and push to remote.

When to Use

Trigger this skill when the user requests any of:

• "release", "cut a release", "ship it", "publish a new version"
• "bump version", "version bump", "patch/minor/major"
• "tag a release", "create a release"
• "prepare a release"

Project Context

Item	Value
Plugin slug	dropshipzone-price-stock-sync
Main file	dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php
Namespace	Dropshipzone
GitHub repo	shauncuier/dropshipzone
Build script	build.ps1
Release script	release.ps1
GitHub Actions	.github/workflows/release.yml (triggers on v* tags)

Files That Contain the Version

All of these must be updated in lockstep during a release:

File	Pattern	Example
dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php	Version: X.Y.Z (plugin header)	Version: 2.5.0
dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php	define('DSZ_SYNC_VERSION', 'X.Y.Z')	define('DSZ_SYNC_VERSION', '2.5.0')
readme.txt	Stable tag: X.Y.Z	Stable tag: 2.5.0
README.md	Version badge URL (if present)	version-2.5.0-blue
CHANGELOG.md	Release heading & links	## [2.5.0] - 2025-12-30

Versioning Scheme

This project follows Semantic Versioning:

• MAJOR (X.0.0): Breaking/incompatible API changes
• MINOR (0.X.0): New backwards-compatible features
• PATCH (0.0.X): Backwards-compatible bug fixes

Release Workflow

Step 0 — Gather Inputs

1. Determine the bump type (or explicit version):
   • Ask the user if not specified: patch, minor, major, or an exact X.Y.Z.
2. Read the current version from dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php:
   • Parse Version: X.Y.Z from the plugin header.
   • Parse define('DSZ_SYNC_VERSION', 'X.Y.Z').
3. Calculate the new version by applying the bump.

Step 1 — Update Version in All Files

Update every file listed in the "Files That Contain the Version" table above. Use exact string replacements — never regex-replace blindly.

dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php:

Version: <old> → Version: <new>
define('DSZ_SYNC_VERSION', '<old>') → define('DSZ_SYNC_VERSION', '<new>')

readme.txt:

Stable tag: <old> → Stable tag: <new>

README.md:

version-<old>-blue → version-<new>-blue

Step 2 — Update CHANGELOG.md

1. If an [Unreleased] section exists, rename it to [<new version>].
2. Add today's date in ISO format: ## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD.
3. If there is no existing entry for the new version, ask the user for changelog entries or generate them from recent git commits.
4. Ensure a comparison link exists at the bottom of the file:

   [X.Y.Z]: https://github.com/shauncuier/dropshipzone/releases/tag/vX.Y.Z
   

5. Preserve the existing changelog structure exactly — do not reformat other sections.

Step 3 — Build the Distribution Zip

Run the build script to create the clean distribution zip:

& ".\build.ps1"

This will:

• Clean the build/ directory
• Copy plugin files (excluding dev files, .git, *.md, etc.)
• Create build/dropshipzone-vX.Y.Z.zip

Verify the zip was created and report its size.

Step 4 — Git Commit & Tag

git add -A
git commit -m "Release vX.Y.Z"
git tag -a "vX.Y.Z" -m "Version X.Y.Z"

Step 5 — Push to Remote

$branch = git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
git push origin $branch
git push origin "vX.Y.Z"

Note: Pushing the tag will trigger the GitHub Actions workflow at .github/workflows/release.yml, which automatically creates a GitHub Release with the zip attached.

Step 6 — Post-Release Summary

Present a summary to the user:

Field	Value
Previous version	<old>
New version	<new>
Tag	v<new>
Zip location	build/dropshipzone-v<new>.zip
GitHub Release URL	https://github.com/shauncuier/dropshipzone/releases/tag/v<new>

Existing Scripts Reference

release.ps1

The project includes a PowerShell release script at the repo root. It can be run directly:

# Bump patch: 2.5.0 → 2.5.1
.\release.ps1 -BumpType patch

# Bump minor: 2.5.0 → 2.6.0
.\release.ps1 -BumpType minor

# Bump major: 2.5.0 → 3.0.0
.\release.ps1 -BumpType major

# Set explicit version
.\release.ps1 -Version "3.0.0"

# Dry run (no changes)
.\release.ps1 -BumpType patch -DryRun

# Skip pushing to remote
.\release.ps1 -BumpType patch -NoPush

# Skip building zip
.\release.ps1 -BumpType patch -NoBuild

Parameters:

• -BumpType (major | minor | patch): Automatic semver bump
• -Version ("X.Y.Z"): Set an explicit version
• -NoPush: Skip git push (commit & tag locally only)
• -NoBuild: Skip running build.ps1 after tagging
• -DryRun: Preview all changes without modifying any files

Important: The script prompts for confirmation (y/n) before proceeding. When running via the agent, either use -DryRun first to preview, or be prepared to send y as input.

build.ps1

Creates a clean distribution zip:

# Auto-detect version from plugin header
.\build.ps1

# Specify version explicitly
.\build.ps1 -Version "2.5.1"

Output: build/dropshipzone-v<version>.zip

GitHub Actions (release.yml)

Triggered automatically when a v* tag is pushed. It:

1. Checks out the code
2. Validates the plugin file
3. Creates a clean zip (same exclusions as build.ps1)
4. Extracts changelog from CHANGELOG.md
5. Creates/updates a GitHub Release with the zip attached
6. Uploads the zip as a build artifact (30-day retention)

Can also be triggered manually via workflow_dispatch with a version input.

Pre-Release Checklist

Before starting a release, verify:

• All code changes are committed and pushed
• Tests pass (if applicable)
• CHANGELOG.md has entries for the new version
• No uncommitted changes in the working tree (git status is clean)
• The branch is up-to-date with remote (git pull)

Rollback

If a release needs to be reverted:

# Delete the local tag
git tag -d "vX.Y.Z"

# Delete the remote tag
git push origin --delete "vX.Y.Z"

# Revert the release commit
git revert HEAD
git push

Then delete the GitHub Release manually at: https://github.com/shauncuier/dropshipzone/releases

Decision Guide

User says...	Action
"release" (no version info)	Ask for bump type (patch/minor/major)
"patch release"	Run with -BumpType patch
"release 3.0.0"	Run with -Version "3.0.0"
"dry run release"	Run with -DryRun flag
"build only"	Run build.ps1 only, skip release
"what version are we on?"	Read and report from dropshipzone-price-stock-sync.php