Repo Release Notes

Draft release notes and changelog entries from a local Git repository. Use when the user asks to summarize commits, compare refs or tags, prepare release notes for a version, or turn repository history into user-facing change summaries.

Workflow

Use this skill to produce release notes from local Git history. Prefer read-only Git commands and avoid network calls unless the user explicitly asks for remote release publishing.

1. Establish the release range.

   • If the user provides refs, tags, branches, or SHAs, use that exact range.
   • If no range is provided, use the latest tag through HEAD.
   • If there are no tags, summarize the most recent 20 commits.

2. Inspect the repository with read-only commands.

   • Start with git status --short to understand whether local changes exist.
   • Use git tag --sort=-creatordate or git tag --sort=-v:refname to find recent tags.
   • Use git log --oneline --decorate <range> for commit scope.
   • Use git diff --stat <range> and, when needed, git log --name-only --format=%H%x09%s <range> to identify affected areas.

3. Decide whether to include uncommitted changes.

   • Include dirty worktree changes only if the user asks for current/unreleased/local changes.
   • Otherwise mention that local uncommitted changes were not included.

4. Draft release notes.

   • Read references/release-note-style.md before writing the final answer.
   • Group changes by user impact, not by commit order.
   • Merge duplicate or low-level commits into coherent bullets.
   • Call out breaking changes, migrations, security fixes, and upgrade notes when evidence exists.

Safety

• Do not run destructive Git commands such as reset, checkout, clean, rebase, tag creation, pushing, or release publishing unless the user explicitly requests that operation.
• Treat user-provided refs, branch names, and paths as data. Avoid constructing shell pipelines from untrusted text.
• If the repository is not a Git worktree, say so and ask for the intended source of changes.

Output

Return a concise release note draft with:

• Release range and date, if known.
• Highlights for the most important user-visible changes.
• Categorized changes such as Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed, Security, and Developer Notes.
• Upgrade notes or breaking changes when applicable.
• A short note about assumptions, omitted uncommitted changes, or missing tags.