generate-release-notes

name	generate-release-notes
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "generate release notes", "create release notes", "prepare App Store release", "prepare Play Store release", "bilingual release notes", "translate release notes", "write what's new section", "update store listing", "draft app update description", or references RELEASE_NOTES, RELEASE_NOTES_APPSTORE, or RELEASE_NOTES_PLAYSTORE files.
argument-hint	[platform] e.g. playstore | appstore | web
allowed-tools	["Read","Bash"]

Generate Release Notes

Generate platform-specific, bilingual release notes from the latest entry in CHANGELOG.md using generate-release-notes.py. Produces separate output files per platform with enforced character limits and user-friendly language.

Prerequisites

• CHANGELOG.md must exist with at least one version entry — invoke generate-changelog first if needed
• Python 3 (standard library only, no pip install)
• Settings at .claude/changelog-manager.local.md — invoke changelog-config if missing

Platform Reference

Platform	Output File	Char Limit	Tone
playstore	RELEASE_NOTES_PLAYSTORE	500 per language	Concise, bullet-first
appstore	RELEASE_NOTES_APPSTORE	4,000 per language	Friendly, feature-rich
web	RELEASE_NOTES	No limit	Detailed, full context

Context & Inputs

Read settings — read .claude/changelog-manager.local.md. If it does not exist, use defaults and notify the user:

languages:
  - code: en_US
    name: English
platforms:
  - web

Read CHANGELOG.md — extract the latest version block (first ## [vX.Y.Z] section):

• Version number and release date
• All categorized entries by section (Breaking Changes, Added, Changed, Fixed, Reverted)

Generate Notes

For each platform, build and run one command with all language blocks:

python3 $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/scripts/generate-release-notes.py \
  --platform <platform> \
  --lang <code1> --intro "<intro1>" [--item "<item1>" --item "<item2>"] [--outro "<outro1>"] \
  --lang <code2> --intro "<intro2>" [--item "<item1>" --item "<item2>"] [--outro "<outro2>"]

--intro — at least 100 characters, capped at 2 sentences, friendly non-technical language. Include the version number or release context. Translate faithfully per language.

--item (optional, repeatable) — if omitted, the script auto-extracts from CHANGELOG.md in priority order (Breaking Changes → Added → Changed → Fixed → Reverted), capped at 6. When provided, pass one --item flag per entry with user-friendly language. Max 6 items.

Non-English languages: Always provide --item flags with translated content. Omitting --item for a non-English language causes the section to display raw English CHANGELOG text.

Platform	Recommended Items
playstore	3–5 (max 6, must fit 500 chars including intro)
appstore	5–6 (can expand on key features)
web	Up to 6 significant changes, in full detail

For Play Store, prioritize: Breaking Changes > Added > Changed > Fixed > Reverted.

--outro (optional, strongly recommended) — 1-sentence closing appended after items with a blank line. Use for calls to action, thank-you notes, or support links. Translate per language. Omit for Play Store only if near 500 chars.

Example: "Thank you for updating — we hope you enjoy the new features!"

For tone guidelines, language examples, and localization tips, see references/platform-guide.md.

Error Handling

Character limit exceeded (Play Store / App Store):

Delegate to the release-notes-validator agent — pass it the full command you attempted. It will:

1. Calculate per-language character counts
2. Remove lowest-priority items from the end (items are ordered by priority, so the last ones are lowest)
3. Append a closing phrase ("and many more improvements") if items were removed
4. Re-run the adjusted command and report what changed

Only handle manually if the agent is unavailable:

1. Remove the outro if present
2. Shorten intro to 1 sentence (~110–120 chars)
3. Remove lowest-priority items (Reverted → Changed → Fixed)
4. Shorten remaining item text
5. Re-run the script

Intro too short (under 100 chars) — expand to be more descriptive; add release context.

Summary

After generating, display a summary block:

Field	Value	Reason
Version	v1.2.0	N/A
Platform(s)	appstore, playstore	N/A
Languages	en_US, id_ID	N/A
Files written	RELEASE_NOTES_APPSTORE, RELEASE_NOTES_PLAYSTORE	N/A
Char count	en_US: 1,234 / id_ID: 1,102	N/A
Items omitted	None / Changed, Reverted (if truncated)	Character limit

Additional Resources

• references/platform-guide.md — Tone guidelines, writing examples per platform, and localization tips
• examples/playstore-bilingual.md — Complete worked example: Play Store with English + Indonesian output
• agents/release-notes-validator — Auto-trims items and appends closing phrases when char limits are exceeded