Release Process

This process keeps releases auditable and predictable.

1. Validate locally

Run all quality gates:

task lint
task format-check
task check-types
task test
hatch run docs-build

2. Prepare version and changelog

• bump version with semantic versioning rules
• update CHANGELOG.md
• verify docs mention new user-visible behavior

3. Cut release

1. create tag vX.Y.Z
2. push tag
3. run publish workflow

4. Post-release verification

• install released artifact in clean environment
• run startup smoke tests
• verify docs links and release note references

5. If issues are found

• patch forward with next patch release
• document root cause and mitigation in changelog
• avoid rewriting published artifacts

Non-technical summary

A release process is a safety system. It reduces the chance that urgent fixes introduce new outages.