Should use_news_md() add a development header if it is a dev version?

[maelle]

Currently, if using use_news_md() to create a NEWS file for a package with a development version, one gets the header "package-name package-version". I wonder whether that header should actually be "package-name (development version)"

withr::local_options(usethis.quiet = TRUE)
temp_dir <- withr::local_tempdir()
dir.create(file.path(temp_dir, "package"))
usethis::create_package(file.path(temp_dir, "package"))

withr::with_dir(file.path(temp_dir, "package"), {
  usethis::use_news_md()
  readLines("NEWS.md")
})
#> [1] "# package 0.0.0.9000"                                     
#> [2] ""                                                         
#> [3] "* Added a `NEWS.md` file to track changes to the package."

^{Created on 2022-12-05 with reprex v2.0.2}

I'd expect the header to be "# package (development version)".

[malcolmbarrett]

I think we already do this; does it have to do with the ordering of when you use use_news_md() vs use_dev_version()?

[maelle]

This is a brand-new package so its dev version comes from the defaults/Rprofile defaults. I agree that for later development, things already work like you say.

[maelle]

So to clarify, my issue is only for brand-new packages with a dev version number. 🙂

[malcolmbarrett]

I've gotten away from putting it in until after my first release (based on the order of use_release_issue()), so it hasn't been a problem for me.

That said, it might make sense for the default template to assume it's a dev version upon adding it

[hadley]

I think it might be slightly better for to call use_news_md() earlier in the release process (i.e. before initial submission) and if the current version is 0.0.1, the bullet should be "Initial submission".

[DavisVaughan]

We now have a bullet to call use_news_md() very early in the use_release_issue() process for both a new package release and an existing package release (if we detect there is not currently a NEWS file).

• usethis/R/release.R

  Line 93 in b4b8623

  todo("`usethis::use_news_md()`", !has_news),

• usethis/R/release.R

  Line 114 in b4b8623

  todo("`usethis::use_news_md()`", on_cran && !has_news),

We now need to make a change where use_news_md() should insert (development version) rather than the actual version if proj_version() looks like a development version. This way use_version() can detect it and update it accordingly.

For a new package, that means it should end up looking like:

• use_news_md() is called and inserts # pkg (development version)
• use_version("minor") is called before release and updates that to # pkg 0.1.0

The only weird situation I can imagine here is if you don't have a NEWS file and your package version is currently sitting at something like 0.2.0, which looks like a "production" version. In this case, I imagine we should just put # pkg 0.2.0 when creating the NEWS file, which is the current behavior.