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

release-automation