start-release_skill

Overview

This skill automates starting or resuming a GitFlow release branch and preparing repository version metadata. It normalizes a provided version string, decides the release version when none is given, updates version files, and commits the bump with proper attribution. It creates a release/<version> branch from develop and optionally prepares a changelog template, then pushes the branch to origin when created.

How this skill works

The skill loads GitFlow workflow capabilities to inspect the repository: current branch, existing release branches, latest tag, and recent commits. It normalizes an input version (accepting formats like v1.2.3 or 1.2.3) and, if no version is supplied, calculates the next semantic version using conventional-commit rules. The skill creates or resumes release/<version> from develop, updates known version files (package.json, Cargo.toml, VERSION, etc.), commits with a chore: bump version message including a Co-Authored-By footer, optionally scaffold a CHANGELOG.md unreleased section, and pushes the new branch to origin.

When to use it

• You need a reproducible process to start a GitFlow release branch from develop.
• You want automated normalization and validation of a provided release version.
• You need to bump project version files consistently across languages and formats.
• You want a prepped changelog template and commit authored metadata for traceability.
• You prefer resuming an in-progress release branch instead of creating duplicates.

Best practices

• Provide an explicit version when you know the target release (e.g., 1.2.3); otherwise rely on conventional commits to infer the next semver.
• Run conventional commit linting before release to improve automated version calculation accuracy.
• Ensure develop is up to date with origin/develop to avoid merge surprises when creating the release branch.
• Review changed version files and the generated commit message before pushing.
• Use Co-Authored-By footer to attribute automation and any human co-authors for auditability.

Example use cases

• Start a new release when feature freeze is complete by running the skill with a target version.
• Resume an interrupted release branch that already exists on origin to continue preparation.
• Automate version bumps across polyglot repositories (npm, Cargo, plain VERSION files).
• Create a release branch and scaffold a CHANGELOG.md unreleased section for manual curation later.
• Generate consistent commit metadata for CI/CD pipelines to pick up release branches.