RELEASE.md

Release Process

Manual Release Steps

1. Version Bump: Update version in package.json

   npm version patch  # for bug fixes
   npm version minor  # for new features  
   npm version major  # for breaking changes

2. Create and Push Tag: The npm version command automatically creates a git tag

   git push origin main --tags

3. GitHub Actions: The release workflow automatically triggers when a tag is pushed

   • Runs tests and builds the package
   • Publishes to npm registry
   • Creates GitHub release

Automated Release (GitHub Actions)

The release process is fully automated via GitHub Actions when you push a tag starting with v:

Prerequisites

• NPM_TOKEN secret set in GitHub repository settings
• GITHUB_TOKEN automatically provided by GitHub Actions

Workflow

1. CI/CD Pipeline (ci.yml): Runs on every push and PR

   • Tests on Node.js 18.x and 20.x
   • Runs linter and tests
   • Builds package
   • Tests CLI functionality

2. Release Pipeline (release.yml): Runs on tag push

   • Builds and tests the package
   • Publishes to npm registry
   • Creates GitHub release

Local Testing

Before releasing, test the package locally:

# Run tests
npm test

# Build the package
npm run build

# Test CLI functionality
node dist/cli.js --help

# Test packaging (dry run)
npm pack --dry-run

# Test local installation
npm pack
npm install -g refakts-1.0.0.tgz
refakts --help
npm uninstall -g refakts

First Release Setup

1. Create npm account: https://www.npmjs.com/signup
2. Generate npm token: https://www.npmjs.com/settings/tokens
3. Add token to GitHub: Repository Settings → Secrets → NPM_TOKEN
4. Verify package name availability: npm search refakts

Release Checklist

• All tests passing
• Documentation updated
• Version bumped appropriately
• Tag created and pushed
• GitHub Actions completed successfully
• Package published to npm
• GitHub release created
• Test installation from npm registry