Release Packaging

This page explains what should be included in an end-user release package for Hakamiq CHD Tool.

This page describes the downloadable end-user release package, not the public source repository.

The GitHub repository may contain source code, scripts, workflows, and developer documentation. The end-user release package should contain only the files required to run the application.

Release goal

Hakamiq CHD Tool releases should be distributed as clean Windows x64 desktop application packages.

The release package should contain only the files required to run the application as an end user.

It should not contain source code, development scripts, repository metadata, CI files, build folders, or temporary artifacts.

Expected release contents

A normal end-user release may include:

• Application executable
• Required runtime files
• Required application libraries
• Required assets
• Required localization files
• License and legal notices
• Release manifest
• Basic documentation files

The exact file list may vary by release, but the package should remain focused on runtime usage.

Files that should not be included

The end-user package should not include:

• .git
• .github
• Source .cs files
• Project development folders
• Build scripts
• Test scripts
• CI workflow files
• Debug output
• Intermediate build folders
• Local user settings
• Temporary files
• Developer-only archives

Build folders

The following folders are development or build artifacts and should not be shipped directly unless they are part of the final published output:

bin
obj
Release

Before producing a final package, stale build output should be removed and the release should be regenerated from a clean build.

Publishing principle

The release package should be generated from the official publish workflow, not manually assembled from random project folders.

Manual packaging can accidentally include development files or miss required runtime files.

Verification

Before publishing a release, the package should be verified for:

• Repository convention checks
• Debug build success
• Release build success
• Publish output generation
• Release manifest generation
• End-user package security checks
• No development-only files in the final package

End-user safety

The release package should be safe to extract and run from a normal local folder.

Users should not need to install development tools, clone the repository, or run build scripts.

Recommended user location

Users may extract the release to a normal folder such as:

C:\Tools\HakamiqChdTool

Users should avoid restricted locations such as:

C:\Program Files
C:\Windows

Release identity

Each release should clearly identify:

• Application name
• Version
• Platform
• Release type
• Build or publish date when available
• Legal notices
• Included documentation

Clean release rule

A valid end-user release should feel like a finished application package, not a copy of the developer repository.

If a file is only useful for development, testing, CI, or source maintenance, it should not be included in the end-user package.