Frontend Miniprogram Release

Frontend Mini-Program Release

Overview

Releasing a mini-program frontend in a monorepo requires careful scope isolation and PR-based workflows. One wrong direct-push to main can require force-push gymnastics.

When to Use

• Bumping version in package.json for a mini-program
• Creating a release commit with version + CHANGELOG updates
• Preparing a mini-program for upload to WeChat platform
• Working in a monorepo where multiple frontends share a single git repository

Core Rules

1. Scope Isolation (CRITICAL)

Always confirm which directory the user wants to release.

# WRONG: Includes all changes from the branch
git diff main..HEAD --stat

# RIGHT: Only check changes in the target directory
git diff main..HEAD -- wechat/

• If the release branch contains changes outside the target directory, cherry-pick or checkout only the target directory into a fresh branch from main
• Never assume "the current branch" equals "only the changes the user cares about"

2. Never Direct-Push to Protected Branches

Version bumps and release commits must go through PR, just like feature code.

# WRONG
 git commit -m "release: v1.x.x"
git push origin main

# RIGHT
git checkout -b release/wechat-v1.x.x
git commit -m "release(wechat): v1.x.x"
git push -u origin release/wechat-v1.x.x
# Then create PR and merge via GitHub

• Even if you have force-push permissions, don't use them for release commits
• If you accidentally pushed to main, use git revert + PR instead of force-push to bypass branch protection

3. CHANGELOG Format

Follow Keep a Changelog (Chinese version supported):

# Changelog

本文件遵循 [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/zh-CN/1.1.0/) 规范。

## [1.14.0] - YYYY-MM-DD

### Added
- New feature description (#101)

### Fixed
- Bug fix related to the new feature (#102)

## [1.13.1] - YYYY-MM-DD

### Fixed
- Bug fix description (#99)

### Changed
- Refactor or directory migration (#98)

## [1.13.0] - YYYY-MM-DD

• Use [SemVer] version numbers with brackets
• Use ### Added / Changed / Fixed / Removed categories
• Include PR numbers where applicable: (#101)
• Always add the new version section at the TOP of the file
• When a release contains multiple commit types, list each under its own category

4. Version Number Analysis

Before bumping, determine the new version by analyzing the actual diff, not just commit messages:

# Step 1: List commits since last tag (reference only)
git log <last-tag>..HEAD --oneline -- <target-dir>/

# Step 2: Inspect each commit's actual changes (THIS is what matters)
git show --stat <commit> -- <target-dir>/

# Step 3: Review the aggregate diff
git diff <last-tag>..HEAD -- <target-dir>/

Commit messages are a hint, diff is the truth. A fix: commit might only touch a comment (no version bump needed), while a chore: commit might add a new page (MINOR bump).

Apply SemVer based on behavioral impact:

Decision flow:

1. Does any commit add new user-visible functionality? → MINOR
2. Does any commit fix a bug that users experienced? → PATCH (if no MINOR)
3. Are all changes internal refactors / cleanups? → PATCH if bundling, otherwise consider skipping release
4. Does any commit break backward compatibility? → MAJOR

5. Version Bump Checklist

Before creating the release PR:

• New version number determined via diff analysis (see §4)
• package.json version updated
• CHANGELOG.md updated with new section, categorized by change type
• Lock file (pnpm-lock.yaml / package-lock.json) updated if dependencies changed
• Only target directory files are included in the commit
• Commit message follows repo convention: release(wechat): v1.x.x

Common Mistakes

Release Flow

User: "Release wechat"
  |
  v
Check git diff main..HEAD -- wechat/
  |
  v
Analyze commits → determine SemVer bump (patch/minor/major)
  |
  v
Create release branch from main
  |
  v
Bump version + update CHANGELOG
  |
  v
Commit and push release branch
  |
  v
Create PR
  |
  v
Merge PR (by user or with explicit permission)
  |
  v
Pull latest main and create tag: wechat-miniprogram-yansongda/v1.x.x
  |
  v
Push tag to origin
  |
  v
Inform user to upload via WeChat DevTools

Tag Creation

After the release PR is merged, create a version tag:

# Pull latest main first
git checkout main && git pull origin main

# Create tag
git tag wechat-miniprogram-yansongda/v1.x.x

# Push tag
git push origin wechat-miniprogram-yansongda/v1.x.x

• Tag format: wechat-miniprogram-yansongda/v{semver}
• Always pull latest main before tagging to ensure tag points to the merged release commit
• Push tag immediately after creation
• If git pull is not a fast-forward, resolve conflicts first (rare for release branches)

Platform Upload (Manual Step)

After PR is merged and tag is pushed, the user must manually:

1. Open WeChat DevTools
2. Compile and verify
3. Click Upload (or 工具 → 上传)
4. Enter version number and notes
5. Submit for review on the platform admin page

Do not attempt automated upload — platform authentication requires manual login.