How does Release compare to semantic-release?

Release focuses on simple CLI automation for GitHub Releases with custom hooks, while semantic-release offers more automation for version bumping and publishing but with a steeper setup. Release is lighter for teams wanting quick changelog generation without extensive configuration.

How to set up custom hooks in Release?

Create a release.js file in your project root exporting a function that processes markdown and metadata; use the --hook flag for custom paths. The README provides an example with parameters like commits and groupedCommits for tailoring output.

Does Release work with private GitHub repositories?

Yes, it integrates with GitHub via authentication (handled separately in release-auth), so it supports private repos as long as proper tokens or credentials are configured for API access.

Can Release handle monorepos or multiple branches?

The README doesn't specify monorepo support; it likely works per repository based on tags and commits. For complex setups, you might need custom hooks to manage branching or filtering logic.

What commit formats does Release recognize for automation?

It recognizes types like (patch), (minor), (major) in commit titles or descriptions, and (ignore) to exclude commits. This is outlined in the pre-defining types section for streamlined releases.

How to skip releases for certain commits?

Use the (ignore) keyword in commit messages as mentioned in the README, or implement a custom hook to filter out specific commits based on metadata like author or message content.

Open-Awesome

release

MITJavaScript6.3.1

A CLI tool to automatically generate GitHub Releases with changelogs from commits.

Visit Website GitHub

3.6k stars118 forks0 contributors

What is release?

Release is a command line tool that automatically generates GitHub Releases and populates them with changelogs based on commits since the last release. It streamlines the release process by eliminating manual steps and ensuring versioned documentation is consistently maintained.

Target Audience

Developers and teams using GitHub who need to automate their release process, particularly those following semantic versioning and maintaining open-source or private repositories.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Release for its simplicity and automation, reducing the time spent on manual release notes while offering customization through hooks and commit annotations for tailored changelogs.

Overview

Generate changelogs with a single command

Use Cases

Best For

Automating GitHub release creation from command line
Generating changelogs for semantic versioning workflows
Streamlining release processes for open-source projects
Customizing release notes with JavaScript hooks
Managing pre-releases like canary or beta versions
Eliminating manual browser-based release note entry

Not Ideal For

Projects not hosted on GitHub, as it only supports GitHub Releases and lacks integration with platforms like GitLab or Bitbucket.
Teams needing out-of-the-box, templated changelogs without writing custom JavaScript hooks for formatting.
Organizations with strict release governance requiring manual approval steps before publishing, as automation may bypass review.
Projects using non-semantic versioning schemes, since it's built around SemVer for version bumps.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Automated Changelog Generation

Creates detailed release notes by analyzing commits since the last tag, eliminating manual browser-based entry as emphasized in the README to save time.

Semantic Versioning Support

Supports major, minor, patch, and custom pre-release suffixes like canary or beta, aligning with the SemVer spec for consistent version management.

Pre-Defined Commit Types

Allows commit messages to specify version bump types (e.g., (patch)) for automated release typing, speeding up the process without manual prompts.

Custom Hooks Flexibility

Enables customization via JavaScript hooks to filter, format, or add intro text to releases, as shown in the hook example with markdown and metadata parameters.

Cons

GitHub-Only Limitation

Exclusively designed for GitHub Releases, making it incompatible with other version control systems, which restricts its use in diverse environments.

Commit Message Discipline Required

Relies on consistent commit annotations (e.g., (patch)) for full automation; inconsistent messaging can lead to manual intervention or errors in release typing.

Hook Setup Complexity

Requires writing and maintaining custom JavaScript hooks for advanced needs, adding overhead compared to tools with built-in, configurable templates.

Frequently Asked Questions

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