Ca release

$ca-release — tagged release

The only permitted path to a version tag. A release is a deployment-readiness assertion: the codebase at this SHA satisfies the bar for shipping. $ca-release aggregates existing compliance — it does not duplicate it.

Flow

Routes to the release skill. $ca-release targets the ca plugin only (ADR-0007): LAST_TAG is the newest ca SemVer tag (v*, never the sibling ca-sandbox-v*), and the release window is the plugins/ca/-scoped commit set — a ca-sandbox tag or commit never bumps ca or lands in its changelog.

1. Pre-flight — working tree clean, on the configured release branch, suite green, no blocking [CONFIRM-NN] open, HEAD not produced via $ca-override. Identify LAST_TAG and the release window.
2. Version bump (SemVer) — classify every commit in LAST_TAG..HEAD by Conventional Commits type and apply the highest-precedence bump (major beats minor beats patch). An explicit version that disagrees with the classification BLOCKS — the bump is never silently up- or downgraded.
3. Changelog — roll up the CHANGELOG: footers from feat, fix, and perf commits into a new section. BLOCK if any feat/fix commit lacks the footer; never auto-fill it.
4. Tag — compose the annotated tag. Never push it to a remote without explicit user authorization — publication is a separate decision.

--dry-run runs every gate and surfaces the readiness report, then STOPs before composing the tag.

Arguments

• <version> (e.g. "1.2.3") — explicit version; Phase 2 still classifies the window and BLOCKs on disagreement.
• --auto — derive the version from the commit log (default when no version is given).
• --dry-run — run all gates, compose nothing. Combines with --auto or an explicit version. An explicit version never combines with --auto — they are mutually exclusive.

Routes to

release (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/routines/release/SKILL.md).

When NOT to use

• Tagging an in-progress branch → land work first via $ca-feature / $ca-fix.
• Pushing an already-composed tag → that is a separate user-authorized step.
• A changelog only → it is a phase output, not a standalone deliverable.

Hard gate

MUST NOT compose a tag on a red suite. MUST NOT silently up- or downgrade the SemVer classification — an explicit version that disagrees with the commit log BLOCKS. MUST NOT auto-fill a missing CHANGELOG: footer. MUST NOT write to the default branch or force-push. MUST NOT push the tag without explicit user authorization. Any BLOCK may be bypassed only via $ca-override.