| name | release-post |
| description | Create professional package release blog posts following Tidyverse or Shiny blog conventions. Use when the user needs to: (1) Write a release announcement blog post for an R or Python package for tidyverse.org or shiny.posit.co, (2) Transform NEWS/changelog content into blog format, (3) Generate acknowledgments sections with contributor lists, (4) Format posts following specific blog platform requirements. Supports both Tidyverse (hugodown) and Shiny (Quarto) blog formats with automated contributor fetching and comprehensive style guidance.
|
| metadata | {"author":"Garrick Aden-Buie (@gadenbuie)","version":"1.0"} |
| license | MIT |
Package Release Post
Create professional R/Python package release blog posts following Tidyverse or Shiny blog conventions.
Quick Start
- Identify the blog platform: Tidyverse (tidyverse.org) or Shiny (shiny.posit.co)
- Verify NEWS.md or changelog exists for the package
- Gather package info: name, version, repository (e.g., "tidyverse/dplyr")
- Follow the workflow below
- Use
scripts/get_contributors.R to generate acknowledgments
- Reference the appropriate formatting guide for final polish
Platform Selection
This skill supports two blog platforms with different formatting requirements:
First, determine which platform the post is for, then follow the general workflow and apply platform-specific formatting.
General Workflow
These steps apply to both platforms. Content guidelines are based on Tidyverse best practices but adapt them as needed for Shiny posts.
Step 1: Gather Information
Collect required information:
- Platform: Tidyverse or Shiny blog?
- Package name and version: e.g., "dplyr 1.2.0" or "shiny 1.9.0"
- Repository: GitHub repo in "owner/repo" format
- Package language: R or Python
- NEWS content: Read the package's NEWS.md, CHANGELOG, or NEWS
- Package description: One-sentence core purpose
- Previous release tag: For contributor fetching (optional)
- Featured image: For frontmatter (optional but recommended)
Step 2: Structure the Post
Create the post outline following this order:
-
Frontmatter: Platform-specific YAML (see formatting references)
-
Title and Opening:
- Title: Package name and version
- Opening: Announcement with one-sentence package description
- Installation: Code block with installation command
- Overview: Brief summary with link to full release notes
-
Main Content (choose appropriate sections):
- Migration guide (if breaking changes) - Always first when present
- Lifecycle changes (deprecations, soft-deprecations, defunct)
- Feature sections (one per major feature, descriptive headings)
- Minor improvements (bulleted list)
-
Acknowledgements (when appropriate):
- Use
scripts/get_contributors.R
- Format: "A big thank you to all the folks who helped make this release happen:"
- Comma-separated GitHub links
Step 3: Apply Content Guidelines
Follow the best practices in references/content-guidelines.md:
- Opening style: "We're [random adjective expressing excitement] to announce the release of..."
- Section organization: Migration → Lifecycle → Features → Improvements → Acknowledgements
- Tone: Conversational, professional, enthusiastic but authentic
- Technical precision: Use exact function names in backticks
- Focus on benefits: Explain "why" not just "what"
- Code examples: Realistic, well-commented, properly formatted
Step 4: Transform NEWS Content
Convert NEWS.md bullets to blog-friendly content:
- Research features thoroughly: Don't just copy NEWS bullets—read function docs, check PRs, understand the context
- Expand context: Why changes matter, not just what changed
- Add complete code examples: Show realistic usage with full workflows, not just function signatures
- Explain concepts first: For unfamiliar features, explain what they are and how they work before showing code
- Group thematically: Combine related NEWS items into coherent sections
- Use conversational tone: Transform terse bullets into prose
- Link documentation: Add relevant links to docs and resources
- Highlight breaking changes: Make migration paths clear
- Multi-language parity (Shiny only): For R+Python packages on the Shiny blog, ensure all examples show both languages in tabsets
Step 5: Apply Platform-Specific Formatting
For Tidyverse posts, read references/tidyverse-formatting.md and apply:
- hugodown frontmatter with
slug, photo.url, photo.author
- Specific slug format:
packagename-x-y-z (hyphens replace dots)
- R code blocks with
r language identifier
- Acknowledgements always included as final section
For Shiny posts, read references/shiny-formatting.md and apply:
- Quarto frontmatter with YAML anchors for social media
- Flexible title formatting
- Use tabsets for Python/R or Express/Core variations
- Platform-specific code block attributes
- Acknowledgements optional, varies by post type
- May use lead paragraphs, callouts, embedded media
Step 6: Generate Acknowledgements
Run the contributor script:
Rscript scripts/get_contributors.R "owner/repo"
Or with a specific starting tag for the previous version (or tag used for last release post):
Rscript scripts/get_contributors.R "owner/repo" "v1.0.0"
Copy the markdown output into the Acknowledgements section.
Step 7: Review and Polish
Platform-agnostic checklist:
Platform-specific checklist:
Tidyverse:
Shiny:
Reference Documentation
Load these as needed for detailed guidance:
Content Guidelines
references/content-guidelines.md - General best practices for all release posts:
- Post structure and organization
- Opening style and tone
- Section hierarchy and organization
- Code examples and formatting
- Before/after patterns
- Acknowledgments conventions
Platform-Specific Formatting
references/tidyverse-formatting.md - Tidyverse blog requirements:
- hugodown frontmatter structure
- Slug and title conventions
- Photo attribution
- Code block formatting
- Lifecycle section structure
- Acknowledgements format
references/shiny-formatting.md - Shiny blog requirements:
- Quarto frontmatter with YAML anchors
- Social media card configuration
- Lead paragraphs and callouts
- Tabsets for variants
- Line highlighting and annotations
- Video embedding
- Flexible acknowledgements
Resources
scripts/get_contributors.R: Fetch formatted contributor list using usethis::use_tidy_thanks()references/content-guidelines.md: General content best practices (platform-agnostic)references/tidyverse-formatting.md: Tidyverse-specific formatting requirementsreferences/shiny-formatting.md: Shiny-specific formatting requirements
Platform-Specific Quick Reference
Tidyverse Post Template
---
output: hugodown::hugo_document
slug: package-x-y-z
title: package x.y.z
date: YYYY-MM-DD
author: Your Name
description: >
Brief description
photo:
url: https://unsplash.com/photos/id
author: Photographer Name
categories: [package]
tags: [package]
---
# package x.y.z
We're pleased to announce the release of package x.y.z...
```r
install.packages("package")
```
...
## Acknowledgements
A big thank you to all the folks who helped make this release happen:
[Contributors from get_contributors.R]
Shiny Post Template
---
title: Package Name x.y.z
description: &desc |
Brief description of the release.
author: "Your Name"
date: "YYYY-MM-DD"
image: feature.png
open-graph:
image: feature.png
description: *desc
twitter-card:
image: feature.png
description: *desc
---
# package x.y.z
We're excited to announce package x.y.z...
[Installation for Python or R]
...
Tips
- Breaking changes first: Put migration guides before features
- Highlight the wins: Lead with the most exciting features
- Show don't tell: Use code examples liberally
- Link generously: Help readers find more information
- Keep it conversational: Write like you're explaining to a colleague
- Be authentic: Enthusiasm should feel genuine, not marketing-speak
