Prompt file imported from waldo1001/waldo.BCTelemetryBuddy (.github/prompts/release.prompt.md). Copyright stays with the author.

Release Process for BC Telemetry Buddy

Overview

This document describes the two-step manual release process for publishing new versions of the BC Telemetry Buddy extension.

STEP 1: PREPARE RELEASE

When to use: When the user says "prepare release", "release this", etc.

Actions to perform:

1. Read current version from packages/extension/package.json

2. Update version in package.json

   • Edit packages/extension/package.json
   • Bump version (e.g., 0.2.16 → 0.2.17 for patch)
   • Save the file

3. Update CHANGELOGs

   • Edit packages/extension/CHANGELOG.md:
     • Add new version section: ## [0.2.Y] - YYYY-MM-DD
     • Add relevant changes under ### Fixed, ### Added, ### Changed, etc.
     • Keep [Unreleased] section at top (empty)
   • Edit packages/mcp/CHANGELOG.md:
     • Same format as extension CHANGELOG

4. Update package-lock.json

   • Run: cd packages/extension && npm install

5. Commit changes

   git add packages/extension/package.json packages/extension/CHANGELOG.md packages/mcp/CHANGELOG.md packages/extension/package-lock.json
   git commit -m "chore: release v0.2.Y"

6. Verify git log to confirm commit looks correct

7. STOP HERE and present summary:

   ✅ Release v0.2.Y prepared and committed locally!
   
   📦 Changes ready:
   • Version bumped: 0.2.X → 0.2.Y
   • CHANGELOGs updated (extension + MCP)
   • package-lock.json updated
   • Committed as "chore: release v0.2.Y"
   
   ⚠️  NOT YET PUSHED TO GITHUB
   
   Ready to publish? Reply "yes" to push and create GitHub release, or "cancel" to abort.
   

STEP 2: EXECUTE RELEASE

When to use: ONLY after user confirms "yes", "go ahead", "publish", etc.

Actions to perform:

1. Push to main

   git push origin main

2. Create and push tag

   git tag v0.2.Y
   git push origin v0.2.Y

3. Confirm success:

   🚀 Release v0.2.Y initiated successfully!
   
   ✅ Pushed to main
   ✅ Tag v0.2.Y created and pushed
   ✅ GitHub Actions triggered
   
   📊 Monitor progress:
   • GitHub Actions: https://github.com/waldo1001/waldo.BCTelemetryBuddy/actions
   • Release page: https://github.com/waldo1001/waldo.BCTelemetryBuddy/releases/tag/v0.2.Y
   • Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=waldoBC.bc-telemetry-buddy
   
   The extension will be live on the marketplace in ~5-10 minutes after CI completes.
   

CRITICAL RULES

1. NEVER skip Step 1 - Always prepare first, then ask for confirmation
2. NEVER auto-proceed to Step 2 - User must explicitly confirm with "yes", "go ahead", "publish", etc.
3. NEVER push or tag without user confirmation - This is a safety measure
4. If user says "cancel" after Step 1, you can undo with: git reset --soft HEAD~1
5. Always update package-lock.json by running npm install after changing package.json version
6. Always commit package.json + CHANGELOGs + package-lock.json together in one commit
7. Tag must point to the commit containing the version bump

Version Bump Guidelines

• patch (0.2.3 → 0.2.4) - Bug fixes, small improvements
• minor (0.2.3 → 0.3.0) - New features, backward compatible
• major (0.2.3 → 1.0.0) - Breaking changes

CI/CD Pipeline

After pushing the tag, GitHub Actions will:

1. Build the extension and MCP packages
2. Run all tests
3. Package the VSIX file
4. Publish to VS Code Marketplace
5. Create GitHub release with changelog

The extension typically appears on the marketplace 5-10 minutes after the tag is pushed.