Releasing a pylint version
==========================

So, you want to release the ``X.Y.Z`` version of pylint ?

Releasing a major or minor version
----------------------------------

**Before releasing a major or minor version check if there are any
unreleased commits on the maintenance branch. If so, release a last
patch release first. See ``Releasing a patch version``.**

-  Write the ``Summary -- Release highlights`` in ``doc/whatsnew`` and
   upgrade the release date.
-  Install the release dependencies:
   ``pip3 install -r requirements_test.txt``
-  Bump the version and release by using
   ``tbump X.Y.0 --no-push --no-tag``. (For example:
   ``tbump 2.4.0 --no-push --no-tag``)
-  Check the commit created with ``git show`` amend the commit if
   required.
-  Move the ``main`` branch up to a dev version with ``tbump``:

.. code:: bash

   tbump X.Y+1.0-dev0 --no-tag --no-push  # You can interrupt after the first step
   git commit -am "Upgrade the version to x.y+1.0-dev0 following x.y.0 release"

For example:

.. code:: bash

   tbump 2.5.0-dev0 --no-tag --no-push
   git commit -am "Upgrade the version to 2.5.0-dev0 following 2.4.0 release"

-  tbump will have created a new ``What's new in Pylint X.Y+1`` document.
   Add it to ``doc/whatsnew/X/index.rst``. Take a look at the examples from ``doc/whatsnew``.
   Commit that with ``git commit -a --amend``.
- Push to a release branch
- Open a merge request with the two commits (no one can push directly
  on ``main``)
-  After the merge, recover the merged commits on ``main`` and tag the
   first one (the version should be ``X.Y.Z``) as ``vX.Y.Z`` (For
   example: ``v2.4.0``)
-  Push the tag.
-  Release the version on GitHub with the same name as the tag and copy
   and paste the appropriate changelog in the description. This triggers
   the PyPI release.
-  Create a ``maintenance/X.Y.x`` (For example: ``maintenance/2.4.x``
   from the ``v2.4.0`` tag.)
-  Upgrade the pattern for the protected branches in the settings under
   ``Branches`` / ``Branch protection rules``. (For example:
   ``maintenance/2.4*`` instead of ``maintenance/2.3*``.). There’s a lot
   of configuration done in these settings, do NOT recreate it from
   scratch.
-  Delete the ``maintenance/X.Y-1.x`` branch. (For example:
   ``maintenance/2.3.x``)
-  Select all the *closed* issues labelled ``backport maintenance/X.Y-1.x`` and
   label them ``backported``, then rename the
   ``backport maintenance/X.Y-1.x`` label to
   ``backport maintenance/X.Y.x`` (for example rename
   ``backport maintenance/2.3.x`` to ``backport maintenance/2.4.x``)
-  Close the current milestone and create the new ones (For example:
   close ``2.4.0``, create ``2.4.1`` and ``2.6.0``)
-  Hide and deactivate all the patch releases for the previous minor
   release on
   `readthedocs <https://readthedocs.org/projects/pylint/versions/>`__,
   except the last one. (For example: hide ``v2.4.0``, ``v2.4.1``,
   ``v2.4.2`` and keep only ``v2.4.3``)

Back-porting a fix from ``main`` to the maintenance branch
----------------------------------------------------------

Whenever a PR on ``main`` should be released in a patch release on the
current maintenance branch:

-  Label the PR with ``backport maintenance/X.Y-1.x``. (For example
   ``backport maintenance/2.3.x``)
-  Squash the PR before merging (alternatively rebase if there’s a
   single commit)
-  (If the automated cherry-pick has conflicts)

   -  Add a ``Needs backport`` label and do it manually.
   -  You might alternatively also:

      -  Cherry-pick the changes that create the conflict if it’s not a
         new feature before doing the original PR cherry-pick manually.
      -  Decide to wait for the next minor to release the PR
      -  In any case upgrade the milestones in the original PR and newly
         cherry-picked PR to match reality.

-  Release a patch version

Releasing a patch version
-------------------------

We release patch versions when a crash or a bug is fixed on the main
branch and has been cherry-picked on the maintenance branch.

-  Install the release dependencies:
   ``pip3 install -r requirements_test.txt``
-  Bump the version and release by using ``tbump X.Y-1.Z --no-push``.
   (For example: ``tbump 2.3.5 --no-push``)
-  Check the result visually with ``git show``.
-  Open a merge request of ``release-X.Y-1.Z'`` in ``maintenance/X.Y.x``
   (For example: ``release-2.3.5-branch`` in ``maintenance/2.3.x``) to
   run the CI tests for this branch.
-  Create and push the tag.
-  Release the version on GitHub with the same name as the tag and copy
   and paste the changelog from the ReadtheDoc generated documentation
   from the pull request pipeline in the description. This triggers the
   PyPI release.
-  Merge the ``maintenance/X.Y.x`` branch on the main branch. The main
   branch should have the changelog for ``X.Y-1.Z+1`` (For example
   ``v2.3.6``). This merge is required so ``pre-commit autoupdate``
   works for pylint.
-  Fix version conflicts properly, or bump the version to ``X.Y.0-devZ``
   (For example: ``2.4.0-dev6``) before pushing on the main branch
-  Close the current milestone and create the new one (For example:
   close ``2.3.5``, create ``2.3.6``)

Milestone handling
------------------

We move issues that were not done to the next milestone and block
releases only if there are any open issues labelled as ``blocker``.
