Release Automation

Overview

Use this skill for the recurring release flow that updates versionCode to today's date, verifies the build, syncs the develop -> main release PR, and triggers deployment.

This is a docs-only skill. Follow the mode that matches the risk level you want.

Repo defaults

• Working branch: develop
• Base branch: main
• Version file: gradle/libs.versions.toml
• Version key: versionCode
• Default verification: ./gradlew :composeApp:assemble
• Workflow: .github/workflows/app_deploy.yml
• Workflow dispatch name: app_deploy.yml
• Release label: release
• Assignee: keelim

Modes

1. dry-run

Read-only inspection only. Do not modify files, commits, PRs, or workflows.

Run these checks and report them with Would ... wording:

date +%Y%m%d
rg -n '^versionCode = ' gradle/libs.versions.toml
git branch --show-current
gh pr list --state all --base main --limit 10 --json number,title,headRefName,baseRefName,assignees,labels,body,createdAt
gh pr list --state open --base main --head develop --json number,title,body,labels,assignees,url
gh workflow view app_deploy.yml

Then summarize like:

• Would update gradle/libs.versions.toml to today's date
• Would run ./gradlew :composeApp:assemble
• Would update or create develop -> main PR
• Would dispatch app_deploy.yml on develop

2. confirm

Same flow as execute, but stop before each risky write:

• file update
• git commit
• git push
• PR edit/create
• workflow dispatch

Use short confirmations such as:

• Update versionCode to 20260308?
• Commit and push develop?
• Edit release PR metadata?
• Dispatch app_deploy.yml on develop?

3. execute

Perform the full release flow end to end.

Execute flow

Step 1: calculate today's release version

date +%Y%m%d

Step 2: update versionCode

sed -i '' 's/^versionCode = .*/versionCode = "YYYYMMDD"/' gradle/libs.versions.toml

If GNU sed is in use, adapt the in-place flag accordingly.

Step 3: verify before any git/GitHub mutation

./gradlew :composeApp:assemble

If verification fails, stop immediately.

Step 4: commit and push

git add gradle/libs.versions.toml
git commit -m "chore: update versionCode to YYYYMMDD"
git push origin develop

Step 5: inspect recent release PR conventions

gh pr list --state all --base main --limit 10 --json number,title,headRefName,baseRefName,assignees,labels,body,createdAt

Prefer the latest develop -> main release PR pattern for:

• title format
• body structure
• release label
• assignee

Step 6: update or create the release PR

Check whether an open develop -> main PR already exists:

gh pr list --state open --base main --head develop --json number,title,body,labels,assignees,url

If one exists, update it:

gh pr edit <number> \
  --title "release/YYMMDD" \
  --body $'## Summary\n- update release versionCode to YYYYMMDD\n- dispatch app_deploy workflow on develop\n\n## Verification\n- ./gradlew :composeApp:assemble' \
  --add-label release \
  --add-assignee keelim

If none exists, create one:

gh pr create \
  --base main \
  --head develop \
  --title "release/YYMMDD" \
  --body $'## Summary\n- update release versionCode to YYYYMMDD\n- dispatch app_deploy workflow on develop\n\n## Verification\n- ./gradlew :composeApp:assemble'

After creation, add the label and assignee if needed.

Step 7: dispatch deployment workflow

gh workflow run app_deploy.yml --ref develop

Step 8: capture run status

gh run list --workflow app_deploy.yml --branch develop --limit 1
gh run view <run-id> --json status,conclusion,url,workflowName,headBranch,event,createdAt

Report format

Always end with:

• release version used
• verification command and result
• commit hash
• PR number and URL
• workflow run URL
• current workflow status

Common mistakes

• Updating versionCode before confirming the active branch is develop
• Continuing after a failed build
• Creating duplicate release PRs when an open develop -> main PR already exists
• Forgetting to reapply label/assignee when editing PR metadata
• Claiming deployment started without checking the Actions run URL

Quick reference

# release date
date +%Y%m%d

# verify
./gradlew :composeApp:assemble

# open release PR
gh pr list --state open --base main --head develop

# dispatch deploy
gh workflow run app_deploy.yml --ref develop