RTK is an agnostic software release tool for managing versions on changelog (keep-a-changelog), multi-format files (JSON, Makefile, text, TOML, YAML), and also for tagging source code of a Git repo.

This involves updating the version number on various manifest files, updating the version number and datestamp on a changelog file, tagging the code with the release version name, updating the manifest files again with the next pre-release version, and then updating the changelog file again with the unreleased version. And you have to do this for various technologies, e.g. with a node.js project you need to update the package.json file, with an Ansible project you need to update YAML metadata file, and so on so forth with other tech stacks.

Enter RTK, which allows you to configure the manifest and changelog files in a .rtk.json file, and it will take care of the updating of the version numbers, the committing of the changes with relevant message, and the tagging of the code with the version name, all via a convenient CLI command rtk release .

RTK comes with a default set of steps, but it's also open for extension by implementing custom release scheme.

The default release scheme involves the following steps:

• Replace pre-release version on resource paths with its release version
• Commit the release version changes to SCM
• Add release tag using its version value
• Replace release version on resource paths with the next pre-release version
• Commit the next pre-release version changes to SCM

npm install -g rtk

Cut off a release using default RTK release scheme:

rtk release

By default, the release version will increment minor value, and the next pre-release version will increment patch value.

This default is based on the idea that most release involves additions and changes (which often mean minor value increment), more than removals (which could mean backward incompatible major value increment) and fixes (which often mean patch value increment).

However, in order to honour the possibility of fixes, the next pre-release version will increment patch value.

The increment types can be customised, e.g. to cut off a release with major release and minor post-release increment types:

rtk release --release-increment-type major --post-release-increment-type minor

Do a release dry run without modifying resource files and making any SCM changes:

rtk release --dry-run

Cut off a release with major release and minor post-release increment types:

rtk release --release-increment-type major --post-release-increment-type minor

Resources can be configured in .rtk.json file. This configuration file defines which other files to manage when cutting off a release.

Example json resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "package.json",
      "type": "json",
      "params": {
        "property": "version"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example json resource configuration with an array sub-property:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "package.json",
      "type": "json",
      "params": {
        "property": "versions[1].minor"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example yaml resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "playbook.yaml",
      "type": "yaml",
      "params": {
        "property": "version"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example yaml resource configuration with an array sub-property:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "playbook.yaml",
      "type": "yaml",
      "params": {
        "property": "versions[1].minor"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example keep-a-changelog resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "CHANGELOG.md",
      "type": "keep-a-changelog"
    }
  ]
}

Example toml resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "pyproject.toml",
      "type": "toml",
      "params": {
        "property": "version"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example makefile resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "Makefile",
      "type": "makefile",
      "params": {
        "variable": "version"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example text resource configuration:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "somefile.txt",
      "type": "text",
      "params": {
        "regex": "(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)(?:-([0-9A-Za-z-]+(?:\\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*))?"
      }
    }
  ]
}

It is also possible to force the release and post-release values instead of using the version scheme generated value: Note: because release and post-release values are specified at resource level, the SCM tag will still use the version scheme generated value

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "package.json",
      "type": "json",
      "params": {
        "property": "version",
        "release_value": "1.2.3",
        "post_release_value": "master"
      }
    }
  ]
}

If you want to format the tag instead of using the version number as the tag, you can configure tagFormat property:

{
  "tagFormat": "v{version}",
  "resources": [...]
}

The above example will set the tag v1.2.3 for version 1.2.3 .

If you want to format the resource's release value, you can configure format property:

{
  "resources": [
    {
      "path": "Makefile",
      "type": "makefile",
      "params": {
        "variable": "version",
        "release_format": "v{version}"
      }
    }
  ]
}

From 0.x, 1.x, 2.x to 3.x:

Modify configuration which uses array sub-property syntax to use square brackets, e.g.:

• from versions.1.minor to versions[1].minor
• from a.b.0.d.e to a.b[0].d.e
• from jobs.build.steps.0.with.ref to jobs.build.steps[0].with.ref

Failing to update the syntax will result in the following error:

file:https:///path/to/lib/node_modules/rtk/node_modules/dot-prop/index.js:176
    throw new Error('Cannot use string index');
    ^

Error: Cannot use string index
    at assertNotStringIndex (file:https:///path/to/lib/node_modules/rtk/node_modules/dot-prop/index.js:176:9)

Developer's Guide

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