git-semver

A lightweight Go tool to automatically determine the next semantic version of a Git repository and create a tag based on commit messages.

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What it does

This tool:

1. Reads commits since the last tag

2. Determines the next version (major / minor / patch)

3. Creates a Git tag

4. Optionally pushes the tag to the remote

It is inspired by tools like semantic-release, but intentionally simpler and more flexible for real-world teams.

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Versioning Logic

Version bump is determined from commit messages using a flexible interpretation of Conventional Commits.

Supported formats

The tool supports multiple commit styles:

Standard (Conventional Commits)

feat: add login
fix(api): resolve error
feat!: breaking change

Custom formats (common in teams)

[FEAT] - add new feature
[FIX] - bug fix
[BREAKING] - change API

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Version Rules

Commit Type

Version Bump

feat, [FEAT]

Minor

fix, [FIX]

Patch

BREAKING, !

Major

others

Ignored

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First Release

If the repository has no tags, the tool will:

• Analyze all commits

• Start from v0.0.0

• Apply normal bump rules

Example:

[FEAT] initial commit → v0.1.0

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Installation

go build -ldflags "-X main.version=v0.2.0" -o git-semver

Or run directly:

go run .

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Usage

Run in current repository

git-semver

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Run against another repository

git-semver --repo ../other-project

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Create and push tag

git-semver --repo ../other-project --push

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Flags

Flag

Description

Default

--repo

Path to Git repository

.

--push

Push tags to remote

false

--json

json format output

{ "current_version": "v0.2.1", "next_version": "", "release_type": "none", "has_release": false, "pushed": false }

--version

git-semver Version

v0.0.0

Requirements

• Git installed and available in PATH

• Repository must:

  • be cloned locally

  • contain commit history

  • have correct remote configured (for push)

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Important Notes

Shallow clones

This tool requires full history and tags.

If using CI (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, etc.), ensure:

fetch-depth: 0

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No relevant commits

If no commits match version rules:

No release needed

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💡 Design Philosophy

• Simple and predictable

• Works with real-world commit habits

• No strict enforcement of commit standards

• Easy to extend and customize

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📄 License

MIT