| name | release-branch-skill |
| description | Cut a new release branch and prepare the version-bump PRs, as defined in RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md. Use whenever the user asks to "cut a release branch" (or to cut/create/start a new release branch): verifies main is green, creates release/v<VERSION>, and opens the snapshot-on-main and release-on-branch version-bump PRs that update self.versions.toml and docs/CHANGELOG.md. |
Cut Release Branch Skill
This skill automates and describes the process of cutting a new release branch and preparing the version bumps, as defined in RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md.
Steps to Execute
1. Pre-check
- Ensure the
main branch is passing all CI checks (is "green").
2. Cut new Release Branch
- Checkout the
main branch and pull the latest changes.
- Create a new branch:
git checkout -b release/v<VERSION>
- Push the empty branch and set it to be tracked:
git push -u origin release/v<VERSION>
3. Version Bump PRs
Create two separate Pull Requests to update versions.
PR 1: Snapshot Version on main
- Target Branch:
main
- PR Title:
[VERSION] Snapshot v<NEXT_VERSION>-SNAPSHOT
- Changes:
- Update
version in self.versions.toml. (VITAL) When computing <NEXT_VERSION>, increment only the patch version (e.g., 2.2.0 → 2.2.1). Never automatically increment the major or minor version — those bumps require explicit human decision.
- (VITAL) Update
docs/CHANGELOG.md to include a new "Unreleased" section for the next version, AND update the version being released with its release date.
PR 2: Release Version on Release Branch
- Target Branch:
release/v<VERSION>
- PR Title:
[VERSION] Release v<VERSION>
- Changes:
- Update
version in self.versions.toml (remove -SNAPSHOT if present).
- (VITAL) Update
docs/CHANGELOG.md with the release date and the final version. Ensure all changes since the last release are documented.
4. Create Pull Requests
- Use
gh pr create or the GitHub UI to create the Pull Requests for the version bump branches created in step 3.
Verification
- After these steps, the project is ready for the "Harden Release Branch" phase, which requires manual verification and cherry-picking of bug fixes.
