release

name	release
description	Automate a full 5chan release — analyze commits, update release body and blotter, bump version, generate changelog, commit, tag, and push. Use when the user says "release", "new version", "cut a release", "prepare release", or provides a version number to ship.

Release

End-to-end release automation for 5chan.

Usage

The user provides a version bump (patch, minor, major, or explicit x.y.z). If omitted, ask which bump level they want.

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track progress:

Release Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Analyze commits
- [ ] Step 2: Write release body (longer sentence)
- [ ] Step 3: Write blotter message (concise keywords)
- [ ] Step 4: Bump version in package.json
- [ ] Step 5: Generate changelog
- [ ] Step 6: Update blotter file
- [ ] Step 7: Verify blotter
- [ ] Step 8: Commit, tag, push

Step 1 — Analyze commits

git tag --sort=-creatordate | head -1

Then list commits since that tag:

git log --oneline <tag>..HEAD

If there are no new commits, stop — nothing to release.

Categorize by Conventional Commits prefix (feat:, fix:, perf:, refactor:, chore:, etc.).

Step 2 — Write the release body one-liner

Edit oneLinerDescription in scripts/release-body.js (around line 105).

Rules:

• Start with "This version..." or "This release..."
• One sentence, no bullets
• Lead with the biggest features/fixes, group minor ones
• Plain language (user-facing)
• End with a period

Good examples:

• "This version adds backlinks for quoted posts, a copy user ID menu item, and clearer reply previews."
• "This release adds pseudonymity mode support per-reply and fixes timezone display issues."

Step 3 — Write the blotter message

This is a separate, shorter summary used for the in-app blotter banner. The blotter is read by end users — non-developers — so every highlight must be understandable to someone who has never seen the code. This rule is non-negotiable even for internal/infrastructure changes that make it into the blotter.

Format rules:

• Comma-separated key highlights, each a short plain-English phrase (not a full sentence)
• Omit "This version..." prefix — the blotter script prepends vX.Y.Z: automatically
• Aim for ~45–70 characters after the version prefix
• Only genuinely novel or noteworthy items — things a user would find interesting or exciting
• Skip regression fixes (restoring something that previously worked), routine bug fixes, invisible security/stability work, minor z-index/modal/layout tweaks, test improvements, CI changes, and anything that isn't a new capability or a significant user-facing improvement
• If something was already a known feature and just got fixed/restored, it does not belong in the blotter
• Fewer strong items beat many weak items; 1–3 highlights is ideal
• If there are no genuinely interesting user-facing changes, do not invent filler highlights
• Lead with the most impressive item

Plain-English rules (apply always, no matter what):

• Write for a user who has never read the code. Each highlight must be self-explanatory to a non-dev reader of 5chan.
• No internal library or module names (e.g. "Pretext", "Zustand", "portless", "Vite", "oxlint"). Translate into the user-visible effect.
• No dev shorthand: avoid "perf", "deps", "refactor", "impl", "selector", "reducer", "hook", "a11y", "i18n", "DX", "CI", "CD", "lint", "typecheck".
• No codebase-only identifiers, file paths, component names, or PR numbers.
• Prefer the user-visible outcome over the mechanism. Example: "compact account history" (describes the code) → "performant account history" (describes what the user gets).
• Phrases must read as natural plain English. If a highlight needs a developer to explain it, rewrite it.
• Avoid broad maintenance labels like "security fixes", "bug fixes", or "stability fixes"; they are usually invisible, redundant, and dull. Only mention security or stability work when the user can perceive the outcome, and phrase it as that outcome.
• Okay to name concrete user-visible features/areas: "Board pagination", "Video auto-unmute setting", "File upload improvements", "Archive page", "Spoiler tags", "Catalog search".

Good examples (the part you write, without the vX.Y.Z: prefix):

• "Board pagination, file upload improvements, mod queue redesign, catalog sorting"
• "Video auto-unmute setting, platform info on homepage, faster board previews"
• "In-app desktop updates, opt-in thread auto-refresh, performant account history"
• "Quote references in replies, post backlinks"

Bad examples (and why):

• "Pretext feed sizing" — names an internal library; user has no idea what this is.
• "Mobile scroll perf" — "perf" is dev shorthand; say "smoother mobile scrolling".
• "Compact account history" — describes the implementation; "performant account history" describes what the user gets.
• "Refactor subplebbit selectors" — three dev terms in a row; rewrite or drop.
• "Security fixes" — generic maintenance label; invisible to regular users and not interesting to read.

Save this string — you will pass it to the blotter script in Step 6.

Step 4 — Bump version

Read package.json, compute the new version from the bump level, and update the "version" field.

Bump	Effect
patch	0.6.7 → 0.6.8
minor	0.6.7 → 0.7.0
major	0.6.7 → 1.0.0
x.y.z	Set exactly

Step 5 — Generate changelog

yarn changelog

This regenerates CHANGELOG.md from conventional commits.

Step 6 — Update blotter

Pass the blotter message from Step 3 (not the release body):

node scripts/update-blotter.js release --message "<blotter message>"

Step 7 — Verify blotter

node scripts/update-blotter.js check

If it fails, fix the issue and re-run.

Step 8 — Commit, tag, push

git add -A
git commit -m "chore(release): v<version>"
git push
git tag v<version>
git push --tags

GitHub Actions triggers on the pushed tag to build release artifacts.

Dry-run mode

If the user says "dry run" or "preview", execute Steps 1–7 but skip Step 8 (git operations). Print a summary of what would be committed so the user can review.