bozonet Create Selective Release
Creates a master release from develop by including only the PRs you specify. This ensures releases contain exactly what you intend, not everything merged to develop.
Workflow Overview
- Identify PRs: User provides PR numbers/identifiers to include
- Create release branch: Branch from master
- Selectively merge: Cherry-pick or merge only specified PRs
- Verify: Confirm only intended changes are included
- Create release: Merge to master and tag
Step 1: Gather PR Information
When the user shares PRs to include, extract:
- PR numbers (e.g., #123, #456)
- PR titles (for release notes)
- Merge commit SHAs (for cherry-picking)
Example user input:
Include these PRs in the release:
- #123: Add user authentication
- #456: Fix date formatting bug
- #789: Update API documentation
Step 2: Create Release Branch
Create a release branch from the current master:
# Ensure you're on master and up to date
git checkout master
git pull origin master
# Create release branch
git checkout -b release/vX.Y.Z
Replace vX.Y.Z with your version number (e.g., v1.2.3).
Step 3: Identify PR Commits
For each PR to include, find its merge commit:
# View recent merge commits on develop
git log develop --merges --oneline --grep="Merge pull request"
# Or find specific PR by number
git log develop --merges --oneline | grep "#123"
# Get full commit SHA
git log develop --merges --format="%H %s" | grep "#123"
Alternative: If PRs are identified by commit messages or SHAs, use those directly.
Step 4: Cherry-pick PRs
Cherry-pick each PR's merge commit onto the release branch:
# Stay on release branch
git checkout release/vX.Y.Z
# Cherry-pick each PR (use merge commit SHA)
git cherry-pick <merge-commit-sha-1>
git cherry-pick <merge-commit-sha-2>
git cherry-pick <merge-commit-sha-3>
# If conflicts occur, resolve them:
# 1. Fix conflicts in affected files
# 2. git add <resolved-files>
# 3. git cherry-pick --continue
Note: Use merge commits, not individual feature commits, to preserve PR history.
Step 5: Verify Release Contents
Confirm only intended PRs are included:
# Compare release branch to master
git log master..release/vX.Y.Z --oneline
# View files changed
git diff master...release/vX.Y.Z --stat
# Verify specific PRs are present
git log release/vX.Y.Z --grep="#123"
git log release/vX.Y.Z --grep="#456"
Checklist:
- All specified PRs are present
- No unexpected commits included
- Files changed match expectations
Step 6: Generate Release Notes
Create release notes from included PRs:
# Extract PR titles and numbers
git log master..release/vX.Y.Z --merges --format="- %s" | grep -E "#[0-9]+"
Format as markdown:
## Release vX.Y.Z
### Included PRs
- #123: Add user authentication
- #456: Fix date formatting bug
- #789: Update API documentation
### Changes
[List key changes or use git diff summary]
Step 7: Create Release
Once verified, merge to master:
# Switch to master
git checkout master
# Merge release branch
git merge release/vX.Y.Z --no-ff -m "Release vX.Y.Z"
# Tag the release
git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Release vX.Y.Z: [brief description]"
# Push to remote
git push origin master
git push origin vX.Y.Z
# Optionally push release branch for reference
git push origin release/vX.Y.Z
Alternative: Interactive Selection
If PRs aren't pre-identified, use interactive rebase to select commits:
# Create release branch from develop
git checkout -b release/vX.Y.Z develop
# Interactive rebase from master
git rebase -i master
# In editor: pick commits to include, drop others
# Save and close to apply
Troubleshooting
Conflict Resolution
If cherry-picking causes conflicts:
- Review conflict markers
- Resolve manually or use merge tools
git addresolved filesgit cherry-pick --continue
Missing Dependencies
If a PR depends on another not included:
- Either include the dependency PR
- Or manually apply required changes
Verify Before Merging
Always verify release branch contents before merging to master:
git log master..release/vX.Y.Z
git diff master...release/vX.Y.Z
Quick Reference
# Full workflow summary
git checkout master && git pull
git checkout -b release/vX.Y.Z
git cherry-pick <sha1> <sha2> <sha3>
git log master..release/vX.Y.Z # Verify
git checkout master
git merge release/vX.Y.Z --no-ff -m "Release vX.Y.Z"
git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Release vX.Y.Z"
git push origin master && git push origin vX.Y.Z