Changelog release

Cut a version + generate CHANGELOG.md

This is the release counterpart to commit-push-sync. Where that skill keeps everyday commit messages clean (Conventional Commits, no version/changelog/tag), this skill is the explicit moment you turn that clean history into a version bump and a CHANGELOG.md entry.

Only run it when the user clearly asks to release / bump / update the changelog. Never trigger it automatically from a routine commit or push — bumping a version and writing a changelog are deliberate, outward-facing acts.

1. Establish the range and read the history

• Find the last release tag: git describe --tags --abbrev=0 (if there is none, the range is the full history / project start).
• List the commits since then: git log <lastTag>..HEAD --oneline.
• Parse them as Conventional Commits (type(scope): subject, type!:, BREAKING CHANGE: footers). Commits that don't follow the convention are noted but won't produce clean changelog entries — surface them to the user rather than silently dropping anything significant.

If there are no releasable commits since the last tag, say so and stop — don't cut an empty release.

2. Determine the version bump

Derive the bump from the highest-impact commit in range:

In range	Bump
any BREAKING CHANGE / type!:	major
any feat: (no breaking)	minor
only fix: / others	patch

0.x rule (match changelogen): while the current version is 0.y.z, drop one level — a breaking change bumps minor (0.3.x → 0.4.0), a feat bumps patch. Above 1.0.0, use the table as-is.

Read the current version from the project's manifest (package.json version, or the language-appropriate file). Propose the computed next version to the user and let them confirm or override (they may want to force a major, or a pre-release like -rc.1).

3. Prefer changelogen, fall back to manual

Check once whether the tool is available:

npx changelogen --version   # or: changelogen --version

If available, drive it instead of reimplementing the logic:

• Changelog only: npx changelogen
• Bump version + write changelog: npx changelogen --bump
• Full release (bump + commit + tag): npx changelogen --release (add --push only if the user asks)

Map the user's confirmed intent to the right flag, show what it will do, and run the least-destructive flag that satisfies the request.

If not available, do it by hand:

• Update the version field in the manifest.

• Prepend a new section to CHANGELOG.md (create it if missing), following Keep a Changelog style:

  ## v<next> (<YYYY-MM-DD>)
  
  ### 🚀 Features
  - <subject> (<short-sha>)
  
  ### 🐞 Fixes
  - <subject> (<short-sha>)
  
  ### ⚠️ Breaking Changes
  - <subject> — <BREAKING CHANGE description>
  

  Group by type, keep the newest version on top, and link/annotate commit shas if the existing file already does.

4. Commit and tag — only with confirmation

Version bumps and tags are outward-facing and hard to undo. Before doing the destructive part:

• Show the diff (manifest + CHANGELOG.md) and the exact tag name (v<next>).
• Get explicit confirmation.

Then:

git add <manifest> CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore(release): v<next>"
git tag v<next>

Push the commit and tag only if the user asks (git push --follow-tags). Do not publish to a registry or create a GitHub Release unless explicitly requested.

Notes

• This skill consumes the clean history that commit-push-sync produces — the two compose, but stay separate. Keep version/changelog/tag work out of the everyday commit flow.
• Be tool-agnostic: if changelogen exists, defer to it rather than hand-rolling; only fall back to manual generation when it's absent.
• Never bump or tag silently. The version number and changelog are things humans review.