prepare-release

name	prepare-release
description	Use this skill when the user asks to "prepare a release", "update the changelog", "bump the version", "prepare release notes", or "cut a release". Automates changelog generation from git commits since the last tag and version bumping across gradle.properties files.
version	1.0.0

Prepare Release Skill

Automates the three-file release-prep workflow: CHANGELOG.md entry, and version bumps in both gradle.properties files.

Steps

1. Determine the version number

Check if the user has provided a version number in their message. If not, use AskUserQuestion to ask:

"What version number should this release be? (e.g. 2.5.1)"

Use the version exactly as provided (no v prefix).

2. Find commits since the last tag

Run these two commands:

git describe --tags --abbrev=0

Then use the resulting tag (e.g. v2.5.0) to list commits:

git log <tag>..HEAD --oneline

3. Update CHANGELOG.md

File: CHANGELOG.md

Insert a new version section between the ## Unreleased line and the first existing version header. Format:

## <version>

- <entry 1>
- <entry 2>
...

Editorial rules for commit → entry conversion:

• Each commit becomes one - bullet point.
• Strip conventional-commit prefixes (fix:, feat:, fix(scope):, etc.) and capitalise the first word.
• Remove PR number suffixes like (#1234) only if the commit message is already clear without them; otherwise keep them.
• Rewrite for clarity and consistency with the existing CHANGELOG tone (sentence case, imperative or noun phrases).
• Do not add a "Thanks to" contributors line — that is added manually.

4. Update version numbers in both gradle.properties files

Update these two files so all three files carry the same version:

gradle.properties — change the VERSION_NAME line:

VERSION_NAME=<new version>

maestro-cli/gradle.properties — change the CLI_VERSION line:

CLI_VERSION=<new version>

5. Run ChangeLogUtilsTest

./gradlew :maestro-cli:test --tests "maestro.cli.util.ChangeLogUtilsTest"

The key test (test format last version) reads CLI_VERSION from maestro-cli/gradle.properties and asserts that the CHANGELOG contains a non-empty entry for that version. All three files must be consistent for the test to pass.

Report the test result. If it fails, diagnose and fix before finishing.