In this commit we set up the google-github-actions/release-please-action, which uses googleapis/release-please under the hood.

This enables automatic deployment and versioning, and all you have to do is have good commit messages 😉

All jokes aside, the real power of this action can be achieved when you use conventional commits. Luckily there are only 2 important prefixes (3 if you want consistency)

• feat:: commit messages prefixed with feat: will cause the action to create a minor version release PR for you to review.
• fix:: prefixing with fix: will create a patch upgrade
• chore: is the same as not doing any prefix. It is basically a way to say it does not affect the core library code.

Lastly, if you add a ! for feat!:, and same with fix, it is seen as a breaking change and will create a major version release.

To be clear, you don't actually have to change your commit message patterns to use this. There are other ways to tell the action what version it should be bumping to but this won't generate a good changelog for you, and it may lead to not adhering as strictly to SEMVER.

To release with a different version than the one the PR is currently for, you can add a commit with the following in the Body:

Release-As: 2.0.0

source

If you wanted to get the Changelog correct, you also have the option to modify old commit message bodies with a special block of text that the action will see and update your changelog accordingly.

Once you understand it, you will likely never have to change it again. A little behavior change upfront is imo an amazing tradeoff for never having to remember how to release the gem 2 odd years later.

BUT it's not for everyone so 🔥burn it with fire🔥 if it doesn't work for you 🙂