feat: add semantic release

[bytestream]

Requires a GitHub auth token adding to the repository secrets of name GITHUB_TOKEN https://docs.github.com/en/actions/security-guides/encrypted-secrets

How does it work? https://semantic-release.gitbook.io/semantic-release/#how-does-it-work

Release notes / change log is generated based on fix: / feat: commit messages. So the first automatic release won't include historic commits which don't match that format.

• NEWS is generated automatically per above using markdown format, so will not look the same as before...
• WHATSNEW has been removed as it's difficult to automatically generate

Closes #304

[ezyang]

So the first automatic release won't include historic commits which don't match that format.

Should do a normal release then before turning this on.

[ezyang]

Will need to setup commitizen/commitlint before landing this to ensure commit messages are valid

[ezyang]

Wondering if we actually want a release every time a PR is merged. Might be better to offer a stable branch (periodic release) and a dev branch (tracking master)

[bytestream]

Should do a normal release then before turning this on.

Yeah. I can send a PR with the file updates for the release if you want?

Will need to setup commitizen/commitlint

There's a few GitHub actions that handle stuff like this. I prefer to enforce squashing and lint the PR title. Thoughts - lint PR title, or all commits?

Might be better to offer a stable branch (periodic release) and a dev branch (tracking master)

Releasing after every PR seems to be common in JS libraries. It's up to you, but a periodic release would probably require manual action again

[ezyang]

Yeah. I can send a PR with the file updates for the release if you want?

I just cut 4.14.0 so I think we're clear here.

There's a few GitHub actions that handle stuff like this. I prefer to enforce squashing and lint the PR title. Thoughts - lint PR title, or all commits?

I set the repo to squash by default so we just have to lint PR title.

Releasing after every PR seems to be common in JS libraries. It's up to you, but a periodic release would probably require manual action again

OK, maybe this is me not understanding semantic release, but what's the point of releases if you release every PR. That seems like what a nightly is for.

[bytestream]

I set the repo to squash by default so we just have to lint PR title.

I'll look at adding a GitHub Action which lints the PR title.

OK, maybe this is me not understanding semantic release, but what's the point of releases if you release every PR. That seems like what a nightly is for.

It wouldn't necessarily be a point release - feat: for minor release, and fix: for patch release.

I think the only real benefit to releasing after every PR is that it's fully automated. The other benefit is that easy to rollback to a previously working version if one PR breaks something.

Might be better to offer a stable branch (periodic release) and a dev branch (tracking master)

This should be do-able, but would require you to manually merge dev into stable to trigger a release. I'm not sure there's any specific benefit to that flow.

We could perhaps just make semantic-release a manual GitHub Action that only runs on the master branch?

[ezyang]

I'm down to try with a manual GitHub action to start, and then upgrade into continuous if we like it.

[bytestream]

I've updated it so the PR title is linted, and it runs manually.

Two things to note, but I don't think you need to worry about either:

• If using protected branches, replace GITHUB_TOKEN with a Personal Access Token.
• Configure the repository to use the squash & merge strategy and tick the option "Default to PR title for squash merge commits".

To manually run the action see https://docs.github.com/en/actions/managing-workflow-runs/manually-running-a-workflow

[ezyang]

I plan to merge this after the upcoming release, then do a "stutter" relase to check that this is working

[github-actions]

🎉 This PR is included in version 4.16.0 🎉

The release is available on GitHub release

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