release-and-auto-changelog

name	release-and-auto-changelog
description	Generic automated semantic versioning and release workflow. Handles version increments, git tagging, GitHub releases, and automated changelog generation for any repository.

Release & Auto-Changelog Workflow

IMPORTANT: You must first plan and write detailed release notes before starting the version bump workflow.

CRITICAL: ALWAYS commit EVERYTHING (including build artifacts). At the end of this workflow, NOTHING should be left uncommitted or unpushed. Run git status at the end to verify.

Preparation

1. Analyze: Determine if the change is a PATCH (bug fixes), MINOR (features), or MAJOR (breaking) update.
2. Environment: Identify the repository owner and name (e.g., from git remote -v).
3. Files: Identify which files contain version strings (e.g., package.json, VERSION, pyproject.toml).

Workflow

1. Update: Increment version strings in relevant configuration files.
2. Verify: Ensure all files match the new version.
3. Build: Run any necessary build or distribution scripts.
4. Commit: Stage all changes: git add -A && git commit -m "chore: bump version to X.Y.Z".
5. Tag: Create an annotated tag: git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Version X.Y.Z".
6. Push: git push origin main && git push origin vX.Y.Z.
7. Release: gh release create vX.Y.Z --title "vX.Y.Z" --notes "RELEASE_NOTES".
8. Changelog: Regenerate CHANGELOG.md using the GitHub API and the provided script:

   gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/releases --paginate | ./scripts/generate_changelog.js > CHANGELOG.md
   

9. Sync: Commit and push the updated CHANGELOG.md.
10. Finalize: Run git status to ensure a clean working tree.

Checklist

• All version files updated and verified
• Build/Distribution successful
• Git tag created and pushed
• GitHub release created with notes
• CHANGELOG.md updated and pushed
• git status shows clean tree