Release notes

Goal

Produce accurate, scannable release notes (Markdown) for a specific release range.

Inputs to ask for (if missing)

• •Release version + date (or "unreleased").
• •Range to summarize: from_ref..to_ref (tags/SHAs/branches). If unknown, ask: "last release tag?" and "target branch/tag?"
• •Target audience: end users, developers, internal ops, or all.
• •What to include/exclude: internal refactors, dependency bumps, infra-only changes.

Workflow (checklist)

1. •Determine the release range
   • •Prefer tags: pick the previous tag and the new tag/HEAD.
   • •If no tags: use the last release branch point or a date-based window.
   • •Commands to gather candidates:
     • •git tag --sort=-creatordate | Select-Object -First 20
     • •git log --first-parent --oneline <from_ref>..<to_ref>
     • •If GitHub CLI is available: list merged PRs for the range and use titles for grouping.
2. •Collect and categorize changes
   • •Start from merge commits (first-parent) to avoid noise.
   • •Categorize into: Highlights, Breaking changes, Features, Fixes, Performance, Security, Deprecations, Docs, Dependencies, Infra/ops.
   • •Flag anything requiring action: config changes, env vars, DB migrations, API contract changes.
3. •Identify breaking changes and upgrade steps
   • •Look for: renamed/removed endpoints, changed request/response fields, changed config keys, Java/Kotlin/Node version bumps, DB schema changes.
   • •Add explicit "Upgrade" and "Rollback" notes when impact is non-trivial.
4. •Write release notes using the template
   • •Use short bullets, active voice, and user-facing wording.
   • •Prefer "what changed" + "why it matters" over implementation details.
   • •Include PR/issue references only if they are stable in your repo hosting.
   • •Use references/release-notes-template.md to keep structure consistent.
5. •Sanity check for omissions and accuracy
   • •Diff the range: git diff --stat <from_ref>..<to_ref>
   • •Scan for config/migrations: rg -n \"ENV|config|migration|Flyway|Liquibase\" -S
   • •Ensure breaking changes are called out and have upgrade steps.

Deliverable

Provide:

• •Release notes Markdown (ready to paste into a GitHub Release / changelog).
• •A short "Risk/notes" section listing any required migrations, config changes, or rollback concerns.