wip-release_skill

Overview

This skill provides a local release pipeline that automates version bumps, changelog updates, and publishing to npm and GitHub. It runs as a single command to perform the full release flow or as a dry run to preview changes. The tool is designed for projects that follow package.json-based releases and semantic versioning.

How this skill works

The command inspects the project version, bumps semver according to the chosen level (patch, minor, major), and appends release notes to the changelog. It updates the skill documentation file if it contains a YAML version frontmatter, creates a git tag, and optionally publishes the package to npm and pushes the tag to GitHub. Flags like --dry-run and --no-publish allow previewing or skipping registry publication while still performing versioning and tagging.

When to use it

• After merging a change to main when you need to create a new release
• When releasing any package that follows package.json-based versioning
• When you want to bump version, update changelog, and tag in one step
• To preview the release steps without making changes (use --dry-run)
• To bump and tag without publishing to registries (use --no-publish)

Best practices

• Run on the main branch after merging the pull request to ensure tags and pushes succeed
• Use --dry-run first to verify changes before committing or publishing
• Keep a valid npm token available in the configured secrets path for automated publishing
• Ensure the project has a package.json; the tool expects package-based projects
• Include a YAML version field in the skill documentation frontmatter if you want it updated automatically

Example use cases

• Create a patch release that fixes a bug and publish to npm in one command
• Perform a minor release with release notes and push the git tag using --no-publish to defer registry publishing
• Run a dry run to confirm the changelog and version bump before the actual release
• Automate local release steps as part of a release checklist for multiple packages
• Archive and tag archived skill versions for backup and indexing workflows