Package Release Post

Create professional R/Python package release blog posts following Tidyverse or Shiny blog conventions.

Quick Start

Identify the blog platform: Tidyverse (tidyverse.org) or Shiny (shiny.posit.co)
Verify NEWS.md or changelog exists for the package
Gather package info: name, version, repository (e.g., "tidyverse/dplyr")
Follow the workflow below
Use scripts/get_contributors.R to generate acknowledgments
Reference the appropriate formatting guide for final polish

Platform Selection

This skill supports two blog platforms with different formatting requirements:

Tidyverse blog (tidyverse.org)
- Uses hugodown
- R packages primarily
- More rigid structure and conventions
- See references/tidyverse-formatting.md
Shiny blog (shiny.posit.co)
- Uses Quarto
- R and Python packages
- More flexible, feature-focused structure
- See references/shiny-formatting.md

First, determine which platform the post is for, then follow the general workflow and apply platform-specific formatting.

General Workflow

These steps apply to both platforms. Content guidelines are based on Tidyverse best practices but adapt them as needed for Shiny posts.

Step 1: Gather Information

Collect required information:

Platform: Tidyverse or Shiny blog?
Package name and version: e.g., "dplyr 1.2.0" or "shiny 1.9.0"
Repository: GitHub repo in "owner/repo" format
Package language: R or Python
NEWS content: Read the package's NEWS.md, CHANGELOG, or NEWS
Package description: One-sentence core purpose
Previous release tag: For contributor fetching (optional)
Featured image: For frontmatter (optional but recommended)

Step 2: Structure the Post

Create the post outline following this order:

Frontmatter: Platform-specific YAML (see formatting references)
Title and Opening:
- Title: Package name and version
- Opening: Announcement with one-sentence package description
- Installation: Code block with installation command
- Overview: Brief summary with link to full release notes
Main Content (choose appropriate sections):
- Migration guide (if breaking changes) - Always first when present
- Lifecycle changes (deprecations, soft-deprecations, defunct)
- Feature sections (one per major feature, descriptive headings)
- Minor improvements (bulleted list)
Acknowledgements (when appropriate):
- Use scripts/get_contributors.R
- Format: "A big thank you to all the folks who helped make this release happen:"
- Comma-separated GitHub links

Step 3: Apply Content Guidelines

Follow the best practices in references/content-guidelines.md:

Opening style: "We're [random adjective expressing excitement] to announce the release of..."
Section organization: Migration → Lifecycle → Features → Improvements → Acknowledgements
Tone: Conversational, professional, enthusiastic but authentic
Technical precision: Use exact function names in backticks
Focus on benefits: Explain "why" not just "what"
Code examples: Realistic, well-commented, properly formatted

Step 4: Transform NEWS Content

Convert NEWS.md bullets to blog-friendly content:

Research features thoroughly: Don't just copy NEWS bullets—read function docs, check PRs, understand the context
Expand context: Why changes matter, not just what changed
Add complete code examples: Show realistic usage with full workflows, not just function signatures
Explain concepts first: For unfamiliar features, explain what they are and how they work before showing code
Group thematically: Combine related NEWS items into coherent sections
Use conversational tone: Transform terse bullets into prose
Link documentation: Add relevant links to docs and resources
Highlight breaking changes: Make migration paths clear
Multi-language parity (Shiny only): For R+Python packages on the Shiny blog, ensure all examples show both languages in tabsets

Step 5: Apply Platform-Specific Formatting

For Tidyverse posts, read references/tidyverse-formatting.md and apply:

hugodown frontmatter with slug, photo.url, photo.author
Specific slug format: packagename-x-y-z (hyphens replace dots)
R code blocks with r language identifier
Acknowledgements always included as final section

For Shiny posts, read references/shiny-formatting.md and apply:

Quarto frontmatter with YAML anchors for social media
Flexible title formatting
Use tabsets for Python/R or Express/Core variations
Platform-specific code block attributes
Acknowledgements optional, varies by post type
May use lead paragraphs, callouts, embedded media

Step 6: Generate Acknowledgements

Run the contributor script:

Rscript scripts/get_contributors.R "owner/repo"

Or with a specific starting tag for the previous version (or tag used for last release post):

Rscript scripts/get_contributors.R "owner/repo" "v1.0.0"

Copy the markdown output into the Acknowledgements section.

Step 7: Review and Polish

Platform-agnostic checklist:

Platform-specific checklist:

Tidyverse:

Slug format: package-x-y-z (hyphens, not dots)
Photo URL and author included
Acknowledgements section is final section
All contributors listed alphabetically

Shiny:

YAML anchors used for description (&desc, *desc)
Social media cards configured (open-graph, twitter-card)
Appropriate filters specified if using tabsets/shinylive
Tabsets used for showing paired variants (Python/R, Express/Core)
Multi-language tabsets used consistently (for R+Python packages only)

Reference Documentation

Load these as needed for detailed guidance:

Content Guidelines

references/content-guidelines.md - General best practices for all release posts:

Post structure and organization
Opening style and tone
Section hierarchy and organization
Code examples and formatting
Before/after patterns
Acknowledgments conventions

Platform-Specific Formatting

references/tidyverse-formatting.md - Tidyverse blog requirements:

hugodown frontmatter structure
Slug and title conventions
Photo attribution
Code block formatting
Lifecycle section structure
Acknowledgements format

references/shiny-formatting.md - Shiny blog requirements:

Quarto frontmatter with YAML anchors
Social media card configuration
Lead paragraphs and callouts
Tabsets for variants
Line highlighting and annotations
Video embedding
Flexible acknowledgements

Resources

scripts/get_contributors.R: Fetch formatted contributor list using usethis::use_tidy_thanks()
references/content-guidelines.md: General content best practices (platform-agnostic)
references/tidyverse-formatting.md: Tidyverse-specific formatting requirements
references/shiny-formatting.md: Shiny-specific formatting requirements

Platform-Specific Quick Reference

Tidyverse Post Template

---
output: hugodown::hugo_document
slug: package-x-y-z
title: package x.y.z
date: YYYY-MM-DD
author: Your Name
description: >
    Brief description
photo:
  url: https://unsplash.com/photos/id
  author: Photographer Name
categories: [package]
tags: [package]
---

# package x.y.z

We're pleased to announce the release of package x.y.z...

```r
install.packages("package")
```

...

## Acknowledgements

A big thank you to all the folks who helped make this release happen:

[Contributors from get_contributors.R]

Shiny Post Template

---
title: Package Name x.y.z
description: &desc |
  Brief description of the release.
author: "Your Name"
date: "YYYY-MM-DD"

image: feature.png

open-graph:
  image: feature.png
  description: *desc
twitter-card:
  image: feature.png
  description: *desc
---

# package x.y.z

We're excited to announce package x.y.z...

[Installation for Python or R]

...

Tips

Breaking changes first: Put migration guides before features
Highlight the wins: Lead with the most exciting features
Show don't tell: Use code examples liberally
Link generously: Help readers find more information
Keep it conversational: Write like you're explaining to a colleague
Be authentic: Enthusiasm should feel genuine, not marketing-speak

release-post