# Releasing
Guidance for release managers and maintainers.
Some of this might move elsewhere later.
## Terminology
- **OLD** - previous release version, eg `1.22` or `1.22.1`
- **NEW** - new release version, eg `1.22.2` or `1.23`
- **MAJORVER** - just the major version part, eg `1.22` or `1.23`
- **master** / **master branch** - `master` branch in the main hledger repo
- **release** / **release branch** - a release branch in the main hledger repo, named MAJORVER-branch, eg `1.22-branch`
- **site** / **site repo** - master branch in the hledger_website repo, usually cloned under the main repo as `site`
## Commits
**When committing/reviewing:**
Follow our [commit conventions](CONTRIBUTING.html#commit-messages):
- in the summary, use a `feat:`/`imp:`/`fix:` prefix (required for user-visible changes),
and/or topic prefixes (`bal:`/`areg:`/`test:`/`doc:`/`lib:`/...)
- add a leading `;` to skip wasteful CI builds
- add a `!` to indicate breaking/incompatible changes
- mention any relevant #issue numbers, usually parenthesised at the end
- write the summary and at least the first part of the body, if any,
as clear change documentation for the intended audience
(users/installers/packagers/developers)
**When committing/pushing/merging:**
- run `bin/commitlint` before push, to check recent commits
- or, run it automatically before each commit (`make installcommithook` to configure your local repo)
- it also runs in CI on github for pull requests, etc.
## Changelogs
Always maintain changelogs in master branch (not in release branches).
**Frequently**, especially after merging changes, and before cherry picking into release branch:
- dry run: `./Shake changelogs -n`
- add new changes: `./Shake changelogs`
- edit
- drop things
- move things
- Add headings: Features, Improved, Fixes
- rewrite things
- format ([#ISSUE](https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/), AUTHOR) on its own line
- commit: `./Shake changelogs -c`
**After cherry-picking** changes to a release branch:
- in the master branch changelogs, move the corresponding changelog items under a pending release heading,
creating that when necessary:
```
# LATESTHASH
...CHANGES ONLY IN MASTER...
# NEXTVER unreleased
...CHANGES CHERRYPICKED INTO RELEASE BRANCH...
# LASTVER YYYY-MM-DD
```
**At release:**
- do final update/edits; check organisation, wording, formatting, issue links
- replace "unreleased" with the release date
- copy the new sections from master changelogs to release branch changelogs
## Release prep
1. create release branch when needed:\
`git branch MAJORVER-branch BRANCHPOINT`\
Sometimes when convenient we make major releases on master (adapt the steps below as needed).
And make the release branch later, when a minor release becomes necessary, eg:\
`git branch 1.22-branch 1.22`
1. update changelogs in master
1. review changes so far, estimate which packages will be released
1. cherry pick changes to release
- cherry pick release-worthy commits
- from: magit, `l o MAJORVER-branch..master`, `M-x magit-toggle-buffer-lock`, `M-x toggle-window-dedicated` (`C-c D`)
- to: magit, `l o master..MAJORVER-branch`, `M-x magit-toggle-buffer-lock`, `M-x toggle-window-dedicated`
- ignore commits already seen in previous cherry picking sessions
- ignore changelog commits / other boring commits
("dev: doc: update changelogs")
- update changelogs in master (move corresponding change items under pending release heading)
## Release day
In master:
- `./Shake.hs` to ensure `Shake` is current, review commands
- finalise [changelogs](#changelogs), copy each new section (emacs `C-x r s a` ... `b` ... `c` ... `d`)
In release branch:
- paste new sections into changelogs
- `./Shake setversion NEWVER [-c]` (first without `-c` to review, then with `-c` to commit).
- `./Shake cmdhelp [-c]`
- `./Shake mandates`
- `./Shake manuals -B [-c]` (using up to date doctool versions)
- `make tag` (signed annotated tags for each package and the overall release)
- `stack clean && stack install && hledger --version && hledger-ui --version && hledger-web --version`
to build locally and check version strings
- push to CI branches to test and to build release binaries
- magit `P -f e origin/ci-windows`
- magit `P -f e origin/ci-mac`
- magit `P -f e origin/ci-linux-static`
- magit `P -f e origin/ci-linux-static-arm32` (at release time only)
- Tips:
- build these release binaries at the very last possible moment
- last commit should be a notable one - not docs only, not beginning with ;
In site repo:
- update `release-notes.md`
- copy template, uncomment
- replace date
- replace XX with NEW
- add new changelog sections, excluding hledger-lib
- remove any empty sections
- add contributors, `git shortlog -sn OLD..NEW`
- add summary (major release) or remove it (minor release)
- check preview in vs code
- commit: `relnotes: NEW`
- update `download.md`
- query-replace OLD -> NEW in
- "current hledger release"
- CI binaries badges/links, including linux-static-arm32v7 if built
- "building from source"
- stack install command
- cabal install command
- query-replace OLD-brightgreen -> OLD-red
- only after release binaries are built (preferably after release is published):
update --version outputs (search: hledger --version)
- final output line from `hledger test` (run in terminal for normal speed)
- Total count from `make functest`
- commit: `download: NEW`
In release branch:
- update `doc/ANNOUNCE` (major release)
- summary, contributors from release notes
- any other edits
- commit: `;doc: ANNOUNCE`
In master:
- cherry pick useful release branch changes
- `;doc: ANNOUNCE`
- update `hledger-install/hledger-install.sh`
- HLEDGER_INSTALL_VERSION
- RESOLVER
- HLEDGER_*_VERSION
- EXTRA_DEPS
- wait for CI binaries, https://ci.hledger.org
- pre-release pause: take a break away from keyboard
## Release
In release branch:
- review status, reflect
- `make hackageupload`
- push tags: magit `P t origin`
- create github release
- https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/releases, copy last release's body
- create new release from NEW tag if CI workflow has failed
- tag NEW, title NEW, body similar to previous release
- at https://ci.hledger.org download CI binary artifacts, check sizes look similar to previous
- select downloaded artifacts in Finder, drag into github release
- publish release
- announce
- push site download/relnotes updates
- push master hledger-install update
- share release notes link, then markdown content, in #hledger chat
- send ANNOUNCE to hledger@googlegroups.com, haskell-cafe@googlegroups.com (major release)
or brief announcement to hledger@googlegroups.com (minor release)
- ANN: hledger NEW
- release notes link, summary
- release notes html (copied from browser)
- tweet at https://twitter.com/simonkwmichael ?
- toot at https://fosstodon.org/web/accounts/106304084994827771 ?
## Post release
- merge/check/update download page changes
- docker - expect/merge PR
- homebrew - expect badge to update soon
- nix - expect `make nix-hledger-version` to update after a few days, find and update to that commit hash
- linux distros - once in a while, follow the links & search for newer versions, update
- support
- handle issues
- update procedures, tools, docs