# Release It! 🚀
🚀 Generic CLI tool to automate versioning and package publishing related tasks:
- Execute test & build commands
- Bump version (in e.g. `package.json`)
- [Git commit, tag, push](#git)
- [Create release at GitHub](#github-releases) or [GitLab](#gitlab-releases)
- [Generate changelog](#changelog)
- [Publish to npm](#publish-to-npm)
- [Manage pre-releases](#manage-pre-releases)
- [Hooks](#hooks)
- Extend with [plugins](#plugins)
- Release from any [CI/CD environment](./docs/ci.md)
Use release-it for version management and publish to anywhere with its versatile configuration, a powerful plugin
system, and use hooks to execute any command you need to test, build, and/or publish your project.
[](https://github.com/release-it/release-it/actions)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/release-it)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/release-it/release-it)
## Links
- See [CHANGELOG.md](./CHANGELOG.md) for major/breaking updates, and
[releases](https://github.com/release-it/release-it/releases) for a detailed version history.
- To **contribute**, please read [CONTRIBUTING.md](./.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) first.
- Please [open an issue](https://github.com/release-it/release-it/issues/new) if anything is missing or unclear in this
documentation.
## Installation
Although release-it is a **generic** release tool, installation requires npm. A `package.json` file is not required. The
recommended way to install release-it also adds basic configuration. Answer one or two questions and it's ready:
```bash
npm init release-it
```
Alternatively, install it manually, and add the `release` script to `package.json`:
```bash
npm install --save-dev release-it
```
```json
{
"name": "my-package",
"version": "1.0.0",
"scripts": {
"release": "release-it"
},
"devDependencies": {
"release-it": "*"
}
}
```
Now you can run `npm run release` from the command line (any release-it arguments behind the `--`):
```bash
npm run release
npm run release -- minor --ci
```
### Global usage
Use release-it in any (non-npm) project, take it for a test drive, or install it globally:
```bash
# Run release-it from anywhere (without installation)
npx release-it
# Install globally and run from anywhere
npm install --global release-it
release-it
```
## Usage
Release a new version:
```bash
release-it
```
You will be prompted to select the new version, and more questions will follow based on your setup.
Make sure to run release-it from the root of the project to prevent potential issues.
## Dry Run
To show the interactivity and the commands it _would_ execute:
```bash
release-it --dry-run
```
Note: read-only commands are still executed (`$ ...`), while potentially writing/mutating commands are not (`! ...`):
```bash
$ git rev-parse --git-dir
.git
! git add package.json
! git commit --message="Release 0.8.3"
```
## Configuration
Out of the box, release-it has sane defaults, and [plenty of options](./config/release-it.json) to configure it. Put
(only) the options to override in a configuration file. This is where release-it looks for configuration:
- `.release-it.json`
- `.release-it.js` (or `.cjs`; export the configuration object: `module.exports = {}`)
- `.release-it.yaml` (or `.yml`)
- `.release-it.toml`
- `package.json` (in the `release-it` property)
Use `--config` to use another path for the configuration file. An example `.release-it.json`:
```json
{
"git": {
"commitMessage": "chore: release v${version}"
},
"github": {
"release": true
}
}
```
Or in a `release-it` property in `package.json`:
```json
{
"name": "my-package",
"devDependencies": {
"release-it": "*"
},
"release-it": {
"github": {
"release": true
}
}
}
```
Or use YAML in `.release-it.yml`:
```yaml
git:
requireCleanWorkingDir: false
```
Or TOML in `.release-it.toml`:
```toml
[hooks]
"before:init" = "npm test"
```
Any option can also be set on the command-line, and will have highest priority. Example:
```bash
release-it minor --git.requireBranch=master --github.release
```
Boolean arguments can be negated by using the `no-` prefix:
```bash
release-it --no-npm.publish
```
## Interactive vs. CI mode
By default, release-it is **interactive** and allows you to confirm each task before execution:
By using the `--ci` option, the process is fully automated without prompts. The configured tasks will be executed as
demonstrated in the first animation above. On a Continuous Integration (CI) environment, this non-interactive mode is
activated automatically.
Use `--only-version` to use a prompt only to determine the version, and automate the rest.
## Latest version
How does release-it determine the latest version?
1. For projects with a `package.json`, its `version` will be used (see [npm](./docs/npm.md) to skip this).
2. Otherwise, release-it uses the latest Git tag to determine which version should be released.
3. As a last resort, `0.0.0` will be used as the latest version.
Alternatively, a plugin can be used to override this (e.g. to manage a `VERSION` or `composer.json` file):
- [@release-it/bumper](https://github.com/release-it/bumper) to read from or bump the version in any file
- [@release-it/conventional-changelog](https://github.com/release-it/conventional-changelog) to get a recommended bump
based on commit messages
- [release-it-calver-plugin](https://github.com/casmith/release-it-calver-plugin) to use CalVer (Calendar Versioning)
## Git
Git projects are supported well by release-it, automating the tasks to stage, commit, tag and push releases to any Git
remote.
→ See [Git](./docs/git.md) for more details.
## GitHub Releases
The "Releases" tab on GitHub projects links to a page to store the changelog cq. release notes. To add
[GitHub releases](https://help.github.com/articles/creating-releases) in your release-it flow:
- Configure `github.release: true`
- Obtain a [personal access token](https://github.com/settings/tokens/new?scopes=repo&description=release-it)
(release-it only needs "repo" access; no "admin" or other scopes).
- Make sure the token is [available as an environment variable](./docs/environment-variables.md).
→ See [GitHub Releases](./docs/github-releases.md) for more details.
## GitLab Releases
[GitLab releases](https://docs.gitlab.com/ce/user/project/releases/) work just like GitHub releases:
- Configure `gitlab.release: true`
- Obtain a [personal access token](https://gitlab.com/profile/personal_access_tokens) (release-it only needs the "api"
scope).
- Make sure the token is [available as an environment variable](./docs/environment-variables.md).
→ See [GitLab Releases](./docs/gitlab-releases.md) for more details.
## Changelog
By default, release-it generates a changelog, to show and help select a version for the new release. Additionally, this
changelog serves as the release notes for the GitHub or GitLab release.
The [default command](./config/release-it.json) is based on `git log ...`. This setting (`git.changelog`) can be
overridden. To further customize the release notes for the GitHub or GitLab release, there's `github.releaseNotes` or
`gitlab.releaseNotes`. Make sure any of these commands output the changelog to `stdout`. Plugins are available for:
- GitHub and GitLab Releases
- auto-changelog
- Conventional Changelog
- Keep A Changelog
→ See [Changelog](./docs/changelog.md) for more details.
## Publish to npm
With a `package.json` in the current directory, release-it will let `npm` bump the version in `package.json` (and
`package-lock.json` if present), and publish to the npm registry.
→ See [Publish to npm](./docs/npm.md) for more details.
## Manage pre-releases
With release-it, it's easy to create pre-releases: a version of your software that you want to make available, while
it's not in the stable semver range yet. Often "alpha", "beta", and "rc" (release candidate) are used as identifier for
pre-releases. An example pre-release version is `2.0.0-beta.0`.
→ See [Manage pre-releases](./docs/pre-releases.md) for more details.
## Hooks
Use script hooks to run shell commands at any moment during the release process (such as `before:init` or
`after:release`).
The format is `[prefix]:[hook]` or `[prefix]:[plugin]:[hook]`:
| part | value |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| prefix | `before` or `after` |
| plugin | `version`, `git`, `npm`, `github`, `gitlab` |
| hook | `init`, `bump`, `release` |
Use the optional `:plugin` part in the middle to hook into a life cycle method exactly before or after any plugin.
The core plugins include `version`, `git`, `npm`, `github`, `gitlab`.
Note that hooks like `after:git:release` will not run when either the `git push` failed, or when it is configured not to
be executed (e.g. `git.push: false`). See [execution order](./docs/plugins.md#execution-order) for more details on
execution order of plugin lifecycle methods.
All commands can use configuration variables (like template strings). An array of commands can also be provided, they
will run one after another. Some example release-it configuration:
```json
{
"hooks": {
"before:init": ["npm run lint", "npm test"],
"after:my-plugin:bump": "./bin/my-script.sh",
"after:bump": "npm run build",
"after:git:release": "echo After git push, before github release",
"after:release": "echo Successfully released ${name} v${version} to ${repo.repository}."
}
}
```
The variables can be found in the [default configuration](./config/release-it.json). Additionally, the following
variables are exposed:
```
version
latestVersion
changelog
name
repo.remote, repo.protocol, repo.host, repo.owner, repo.repository, repo.project
```
All variables are available in all hooks. The only exception is that the additional variables listed above are not yet
available in the `init` hook.
Use `--verbose` to log the output of the commands.
For the sake of verbosity, the full list of hooks is actually: `init`, `beforeBump`, `bump`, `beforeRelease`, `release`
or `afterRelease`. However, hooks like `before:beforeRelease` look weird and are usually not useful in practice.
## Plugins
Since v11, release-it can be extended in many, many ways. Here are some plugins:
| Plugin | Description |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [@release-it/bumper](https://github.com/release-it/bumper) | Read & write the version from/to any file |
| [@release-it/conventional-changelog](https://github.com/release-it/conventional-changelog) | Provides recommended bump, conventional-changelog, and updates `CHANGELOG.md` |
| [@release-it/keep-a-changelog](https://github.com/release-it/keep-a-changelog) | Maintain CHANGELOG.md using the Keep a Changelog standards |
| [release-it-lerna-changelog](https://github.com/rwjblue/release-it-lerna-changelog) | Integrates lerna-changelog into the release-it pipeline |
| [release-it-yarn-workspaces](https://github.com/rwjblue/release-it-yarn-workspaces) | Releases each of your projects configured workspaces |
| [release-it-calver-plugin](https://github.com/casmith/release-it-calver-plugin) | Enables Calendar Versioning (calver) with release-it |
| [@grupoboticario/news-fragments](https://github.com/grupoboticario/news-fragments) | An easy way to generate your changelog file |
| [@j-ulrich/release-it-regex-bumper](https://github.com/j-ulrich/release-it-regex-bumper) | Regular expression based version read/write plugin for release-it |
Internally, release-it uses its own plugin architecture (for Git, GitHub, GitLab, npm).
→ See all [release-it plugins on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=keywords:release-it-plugin).
→ See [plugins](./docs/plugins.md) for documentation to write plugins.
## Distribution repository
Some projects use a distribution repository. Generated files (such as compiled assets or documentation) can be
distributed to a separate repository. Or to a separate branch, such as a `gh-pages`. Some examples include
[shim repositories](https://github.com/components) and a separate
[packaged Angular.js repository](https://github.com/angular/bower-angular) for distribution on npm and Bower.
The `dist.repo` option was removed in v10, but similar setups can still be achieved. Please see the
[distribution repository](./docs/recipes/distribution-repo.md) recipe for example configurations.
## Metrics
Use `--disable-metrics` to opt-out of sending some anonymous statistical data to Google Analytics. For details, refer to
[lib/metrics.js](./lib/metrics.js). Please consider to not opt-out: more data means more support for future development.
## Troubleshooting & debugging
- With `release-it --verbose` (or `-V`), release-it prints every custom script/hook and its output.
- With `release-it -VV`, release-it also prints every internal command and its output.
- Prepend `DEBUG=release-it:* release-it [...]` to print configuration and more error details.
Use `verbose: 2` in a configuration file to have the equivalent of `-VV` on the command line.
## Use release-it programmatically
While mostly used as a CLI tool, release-it can be used as a dependency to integrate in your own scripts. See
[use release-it programmatically](./docs/recipes/programmatic.md) for example code.
## Example projects using release-it
- [antonmedv/fx](https://github.com/antonmedv/fx)
- [blockchain/blockchain-wallet-v4-frontend](https://github.com/blockchain/blockchain-wallet-v4-frontend)
- [callstack/linaria](https://github.com/callstack/linaria)
- [ember-cli/ember-cli](https://github.com/ember-cli/ember-cli)
[react-native-paper](https://github.com/callstack/react-native-paper)
- [js-cookie/js-cookie](https://github.com/js-cookie/js-cookie)
- [mirumee/saleor](https://github.com/mirumee/saleor)
- [mozilla/readability](https://github.com/mozilla/readability)
- [satya164/react-native-tab-view](https://github.com/satya164/react-native-tab-view)
- [shipshapecode/shepherd](https://github.com/shipshapecode/shepherd)
- [swagger-api/swagger-ui](https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-ui) +
[swagger-editor](https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-editor)
- [StevenBlack/hosts](https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts)
- [tabler](https://github.com/tabler/tabler) + [tabler-icons](https://github.com/tabler/tabler-icons)
- [youzan/vant](https://github.com/youzan/vant/search?q=release-it)
- [Repositories that depend on release-it](https://github.com/release-it/release-it/network/dependents)
- GitHub search for [filename:.release-it.json](https://github.com/search?q=filename%3A.release-it.json)
## Resources
- [semver.org](https://semver.org)
- [GitHub Help](https://docs.github.com) (→
[About Releases](https://docs.github.com/free-pro-team@latest/github/administering-a-repository/about-releases))
- [npm Blog: Publishing what you mean to publish](https://blog.npmjs.org/post/165769683050/publishing-what-you-mean-to-publish)
- [npm Documentation: package.json](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v6/configuring-npm/package-json)
- [Prereleases and npm](https://medium.com/@mbostock/prereleases-and-npm-e778fc5e2420)
- [Glob Primer (node-glob)](https://github.com/isaacs/node-glob#glob-primer) (release-it uses
[globby](https://github.com/sindresorhus/globby#readme))