Release

Release Notepadqq Version

Use this skill when you need to prepare and publish a new stable Notepadqq release.

This file is written to be provider-neutral so the same workflow can be used by agents that read project skills from .github/skills/, .agents/skills/, or .claude/skills/.

What This Covers

• Bumping the source version in CMakeLists.txt
• Bumping the runtime/app version string in src/ui/include/notepadqq.h
• Adding the release entry in support_files/com.notepadqq.Notepadqq.metainfo.xml
• Updating release-facing packaging metadata in snap/snapcraft.yaml
• Updating the manpage header in support_files/manpage/notepadqq.1
• Running the release-oriented build and test checks used by CI
• Creating and pushing the release tag
• Preparing a GitHub release through the existing workflow

Important Current Constraints

• The canonical project version is defined in CMakeLists.txt via project(notepadqq VERSION ...).
• The application also exposes a user-facing version string via POINTVERSION in src/ui/include/notepadqq.h.
• AppStream release history is tracked in support_files/com.notepadqq.Notepadqq.metainfo.xml, not the old support_files/notepadqq.appdata.xml path.
• The manpage header in support_files/manpage/notepadqq.1 includes a version string and release month/year that should be kept current for real releases.
• The Snap package declares its own version in snap/snapcraft.yaml.
• Git tags for stable releases should follow the v<version> pattern, for example v2.1.0.
• GitHub release titles should follow the v<version> pattern, for example v2.1.0.
• The release workflow in .github/workflows/release.yml currently publishes macOS DMG assets only.
• Linux AppImages are produced by the nightly workflow in .github/workflows/nightly.yml, not by the stable release workflow.

Inputs To Gather First

• Target version, for example 2.1.0
• Release date in YYYY-MM-DD format for the metainfo entry
• Whether this is a prerelease or stable release
• Whether the user also wants to start the next development cycle immediately after the stable release
• Whether the user wants the agent to stop before pushing tags or opening the GitHub release

If any of these are missing, ask before changing files or running publishing steps.

Procedure

1. Confirm the release intent.

• Verify the target version.
• Verify whether the release should be marked as development in the metainfo file.
• Verify whether a separate post-release development bump should be prepared.
• Verify whether remote side effects are allowed in this session.

2. Update the source version.

• Edit CMakeLists.txt and update project(notepadqq VERSION ...).
• Edit src/ui/include/notepadqq.h and update POINTVERSION to the intended release string.
• Search for any other repo-owned version references that must stay aligned.
• Do not treat bundled third-party dependency versions as part of the app release.

Use the version surfaces deliberately:

• CMakeLists.txt is the canonical project version.
• src/ui/include/notepadqq.h is the user-visible app/runtime version string.
• Stable releases should not leave +git suffixes behind unless the user explicitly wants a development build label.

3. Update AppStream metadata.

• Add a new topmost <release .../> entry in support_files/com.notepadqq.Notepadqq.metainfo.xml.
• Use the confirmed release date.
• Add type="development" only for prereleases.

Do not use the historical support_files/notepadqq.appdata.xml path unless the repo reintroduces it.

4. Update ancillary release metadata.

• Update the version in snap/snapcraft.yaml.
• Update the date and version header in support_files/manpage/notepadqq.1.
• If the manpage copyright year is intentionally maintained separately, preserve repo conventions rather than guessing.

5. Validate locally with the same release-oriented path CI uses.

• Configure: cmake --preset release
• Build: cmake --build --preset release --parallel
• Test: ctest --preset release --output-on-failure

If the environment cannot run one of these, explain the limitation and run the narrowest available validation instead.

6. Prepare the release commit.

• Summarize exactly which version-bearing files changed.
• For a normal stable release, that usually includes CMakeLists.txt, src/ui/include/notepadqq.h, support_files/com.notepadqq.Notepadqq.metainfo.xml, support_files/manpage/notepadqq.1, and snap/snapcraft.yaml.
• If asked to commit, create a normal commit with a version-specific message.
• Do not create or amend commits unless the user explicitly asks.

7. Tag and publish.

• Create an annotated tag using the v<version> pattern, for example v2.1.0, unless the repo already documents a different convention.
• Push the branch and tag only with explicit user approval.
• Create a draft GitHub release for that tag. This triggers .github/workflows/release.yml which builds and uploads release artifacts. The workflow then automatically publishes the draft (removes the draft status) once all assets are attached, eliminating the window where a published release has no artifacts.
• Name the GitHub release using the v<version> pattern, for example v2.1.0, unless the user explicitly asks for a different title.
• Generate the GitHub release body by examining the commit log since the last release tag, then summarizing the most important changes into a concise, user-friendly overview.
• Present the generated release body to the user and ask them to review and approve it before creating the release. Do not proceed with publishing until the user has reviewed and confirmed the body.
• Use the --generate-notes parameter so that a detailed changelog will be appended to the body you provide.
• If the tag already exists, prefer using the workflow-dispatch path in .github/workflows/release.yml with the existing tag.
• If the Snap release should reach end users on the stable channel, remind the user to open the Snapcraft dashboard and promote the newly built revision to stable after the release is published.