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docs: DEVELOPMENT.md described a release architecture that does not exist - #250

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Aug 18, 2026
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docs: DEVELOPMENT.md described a release architecture that does not exist#250
BernardJen merged 1 commit into
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docs/development-release-flow

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Documentation only. Found while checking that the markdown left after deleting TODO.md (#240)
was actually current — it wasn't.

The one line I was asked to fix, and what was behind it

The quick reference said "After PR merge, release happens automatically". It does not. Chasing
that turned up that the entire release story in this file describes workflows that were replaced:

Claimed Reality
Auto-Release workflow runs on main push no such workflow; only CI runs on push
Build and Release triggers on a new tag no such workflow, and nothing triggers on a tag push
Actions → Build and Release not in the Actions list
Two workflows, chained by a tag One workflow, Release, workflow_dispatch only

Verified against .github/workflows rather than assumed: two files, CI (pull_request, push)
and Release (workflow_dispatch only).

Why this was worse than a stale sentence

Anyone following section 6's "manual release" procedure would create and push a tag expecting a
build, get nothing, and be left with a tag that has no release attached — which then has to be
deleted before the real release can use that version.

I hit the live version of this today: releasing v2.14.0 required gh workflow run release.yml by
hand, exactly as CLAUDE.md says and exactly as this file said it wouldn't.

What changed

  • Section 5 now says plainly that merging releases nothing, and lists the six jobs the single
    Release workflow does in one run — including that lint and test gate it.
  • Flow diagram redrawn with the manual step where it actually is.
  • Section 6 rewritten around gh workflow run release.yml, with a "do not release by pushing
    a tag"
    warning that names what goes wrong.
  • Two post-release checks added, because both have failed silently before and neither shows as
    a red run:
  • Troubleshooting: "Release Not Triggering" → "No Release Appeared", which starts by asking
    whether it was run at all. The old version assumed an automatic trigger that has never existed
    here.
  • "Version Mismatch" now covers package-lock.json. Syncing only package.json is precisely
    how fix: keep package-lock.json in step with the version bump #197 happened.
  • The hotfix section's "Auto-release will create a patch version" corrected.

Verification

  • Branched from main (e1d1367).
  • Every workflow name the document now mentions was checked to exist against
    .github/workflows/*.yml; the only remaining "Auto-Release" mention is a deliberate one saying
    it does not exist.
  • npm run lint clean (no code touched).
  • The documented release command is the one I used for v2.14.0 an hour ago, so it is verified by
    use rather than by reading.

Not verified

  • The hotfix and rollback procedures elsewhere in the file are untouched and I have not exercised
    them. They do not mention the phantom workflows, but "does not contradict the workflow files" is
    a weaker claim than "known to work".

…xist

The quick reference said "After PR merge, release happens automatically". It does not.
Chasing that turned up that the whole release story in this file describes workflows
that were replaced:

  claimed                                  reality
  ---------------------------------------  --------------------------------------
  Auto-Release workflow runs on main push  no such workflow; only CI runs on push
  Build and Release triggers on a new tag  no such workflow; NOTHING triggers on a
                                           tag push
  Actions -> Build and Release             not in the Actions list
  two workflows, chained by a tag          one workflow, Release, workflow_dispatch

Verified against .github/workflows rather than assumed: there are two files, CI
(pull_request, push) and Release (workflow_dispatch only).

This mattered more than a stale sentence. Anyone following section 6's "manual
release" procedure would create and push a tag expecting a build, get nothing, and be
left with a tag that has no release attached -- which then has to be deleted before
the real release can use that version.

WHAT CHANGED

- Section 5 now says plainly that merging releases nothing, and lists the six jobs the
  single Release workflow does in one run, including that lint and test GATE it.
- The flow diagram redrawn with the manual step where it actually is.
- Section 6 rewritten around `gh workflow run release.yml`, with a "do not release by
  pushing a tag" warning naming what goes wrong.
- Two post-release checks added, because both have failed silently before and neither
  shows as a red run: that all three version files moved together (#197), and that the
  update manifests name assets that exist (#86).
- Troubleshooting's "Release Not Triggering" replaced with "No Release Appeared",
  which starts by asking whether it was run at all -- the previous version assumed an
  automatic trigger that has never existed here.
- "Version Mismatch" now covers package-lock.json. Syncing only package.json is
  exactly how the lock sat at 2.9.0 while package.json reached 2.13.0 (#197).
- The hotfix section's "Auto-release will create a patch version" corrected.

Documentation only. Same class as #206 and #207, found while checking that the
markdown left after deleting TODO.md was actually current.
@BernardJen
BernardJen merged commit bf83e38 into main Aug 18, 2026
1 check passed
@BernardJen
BernardJen deleted the docs/development-release-flow branch August 18, 2026 13:58
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