git:20260811.a81cd80 to git:20260826.8255aca

---

name: shipwright-changelog

description: "Parses Conventional Commits from git history, generates Keep-a-Changelog entries, creates version tags, and opens PRs.\nTRIGGER when: user wants to create a changelog, generate release notes, tag a version, create a release, bump version number, create a PR for release, or review unreleased changes.\nDO NOT TRIGGER when: user asks to write code (/shipwright-build), run tests (/shipwright-test), fix a bug (/shipwright-iterate), deploy (/shipwright-deploy), create requirements (/shipwright-project), plan implementation (/shipwright-plan), or design UI (/shipwright-design)."

license: MIT

---

# Shipwright Changelog Skill

Generates changelogs from Conventional Commits and manages release workflow.

---

## CRITICAL: First Actions

**Governing rules:** Read and follow `shared/constitution.md` (ALWAYS / ASK FIRST / NEVER boundaries).

### A. Print Intro Banner

```

================================================================================

SHIPWRIGHT-CHANGELOG: Release Management

================================================================================

Analyzes git history, generates changelog, creates PR.

================================================================================

```

### B. Discover Plugin Root

The SessionStart hook injects `SHIPWRIGHT_PLUGIN_ROOT=<path>`. Use it directly.

### C. Detect Invocation Mode

**The `phaseTaskId` the orchestrator hands you at dispatch is the authority** — NOT any

state field inside `shipwright_run_config.json`. The pipeline's v1 state fields are no

longer advanced, so keying on them made every driven phase past the first misclassify

itself as standalone; the rationale is in `shared/scripts/lib/phase_invocation_mode.py`.

**Never re-derive the mode yourself.** Ask the resolver:

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/get_phase_context.py" \

--phase-task-id "{phaseTaskId}" --phase changelog --project-root "{project_root}"

```

Omit `--phase-task-id` if you were not handed one. Set `invocation_mode` from the returned

`mode`, which is exactly one of:

- **`pipeline`** — you were dispatched. Enforce gates, and do the phase's real work.

**Do NOT call `orchestrator.py update-step`** (nor any other run-state write): in a

driven run `single-session-apply` owns phase completion — it records your status when

it applies your result. See `plugins/shipwright-run/skills/run/SKILL.md`. (`update-step`

is inert in a driven run anyway, but do not rely on that.)

- **`standalone`** — no token, so this is a hand-invoked run (the normal case for a

release: `/shipwright-changelog` is usually invoked by hand):

- Skip pipeline state updates (no `orchestrator.py update-step` calls)

- Still produce all artifacts (`CHANGELOG.md`, version tags, PRs)

- Print: `"Running in standalone mode — pipeline state will not be updated."`

- If `requires_out_of_sequence_warning` is `true`, a driven run is LIVE at

`active_phases`. Warn that cutting a release out-of-band may collide with it, and

**ask the user before continuing**. (The `changelog` phase has no cataloged gate id yet

— it is a tracked `pending_phases` follow-up in `shared/config/gate_catalog.json` — so

ask interactively rather than resolving a gate policy.)

- **`error`** (exit code 2) — you were dispatched but the token does not resolve (stale,

terminal, wrong phase, or an unreadable config). **STOP.** Do NOT continue as

standalone: that is precisely what stamps a driven run's artifacts `"mode": "standalone"`

and deadlocks the pipeline. Surface it to the orchestrator as an `ok: false` result.

### D. Run Setup Script

```bash

uv run "{plugin_root}/scripts/checks/setup-changelog.py" \

--plugin-root "{plugin_root}"

```

Parse JSON output for git state, last tag, and unreleased commits.

---

## Step 0: Phase Session Context Recovery

If the orchestrator handed you a `phaseTaskId`, the `get_phase_context.py` call you

already made in **Detect Invocation Mode** is the one this step needs — reuse that

payload and read its `skill_artifacts_to_read` list before proceeding. No

`phaseTaskId` → standalone; continue with Step 1.

---

## Step 1: Analyze Git History

**Goal:** Collect all commits since the last version tag.

The setup script returns:

- `last_tag` — most recent semver tag (or null if none)

- `commits_since_tag` — list of commit messages + hashes

- `branch` — current branch name

If no commits since last tag: print "No unreleased changes" and stop.

---

## Step 2: Categorize Commits

See [conventional-commits.md](references/conventional-commits.md) for parsing rules.

**Goal:** Parse each commit message into type, scope, and description.

```bash

uv run "{plugin_root}/scripts/lib/git_utils.py" parse-commits \

--since "{last_tag}" \

--format json

```

Categories:

| Type | Changelog Section |

|------|------------------|

| `feat` | Added |

| `fix` | Fixed |

| `refactor` | Changed |

| `docs` | Documentation |

| `test` | Testing |

| `chore` | Maintenance |

| `BREAKING CHANGE` | Breaking Changes |

---

## Step 3: Determine Version Bump

**Goal:** Suggest next version based on commit types.

Rules:

- `BREAKING CHANGE` in any commit → **major** bump

- Any `feat` → **minor** bump

- Only `fix`, `refactor`, `docs`, etc. → **patch** bump

If no previous tag exists: suggest `v0.1.0`.

**Autonomous mode** (check `autonomy` in `shipwright_run_config.json`):

Accept the suggested version automatically. No prompt.

**Guided mode** (default):

Present suggestion to user:

```

Suggested version: v{X.Y.Z} (based on: {reason})

Accept or enter custom version:

```

---

## Step 4: Generate Changelog Entry

Since the file-per-iterate refactor, iterate F4 writes one Markdown file

per bullet under `CHANGELOG-unreleased.d/<category>/`. Release time

reads those drop files, renders a versioned Keep-a-Changelog section,

inserts it at the structural point in `CHANGELOG.md` (above the first

existing `## [version]` heading, NOT blindly at the top — that would

corrupt the `# Changelog` title), and deletes only the drop files that

were actually aggregated.

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/aggregate_changelog.py" \

--project-root "{project_root}" \

--version "{version}" \

[--release-date "{YYYY-MM-DD}"] \

[--dry-run]

```

Use `--dry-run` first to preview the rendered section without modifying

disk. When the aggregator encounters legacy bullets under

`## [Unreleased]` (e.g. from pre-refactor iterates that wrote directly

to `CHANGELOG.md`), it prints a **loud stderr WARNING** with the count.

Those bullets are NOT migrated automatically — the operator chooses

whether to fold them into the new version manually or accept the

split-brain.

**Re-running a release is safe.** The changelog is written before the

drop files are consumed, so an interruption in that window leaves the

section written and the drops still pending. Running the same version

again **replaces** that section rather than adding a second one — but

only when what is on record is still what the drops say. Otherwise it

**stops with a non-zero exit** and names the disagreement, changing

neither `CHANGELOG.md` nor any drop file. That is a prompt to reconcile

by hand, not a transient error to retry.

`changelog_updated` means *bytes were written*, not *the run succeeded*:

a converging re-run reports `"section_action": "unchanged"` with

`"changelog_updated": false` and is a **success**. See

[rerunning-a-release.md](references/rerunning-a-release.md) for the full

state table, the `--release-date` rule, and why it refuses instead of

overwriting.

### ADR decision-drops

Iterate F3 no longer appends ADRs directly to `decision_log.md`. Since

the unconditional-worktree refactor it writes one JSON drop per ADR

under `.shipwright/agent_docs/decision-drops/`, keyed by run_id. Release

time is the ONE serialized point that assigns the sequential `ADR-NNN`,

so two parallel iterates can never claim the same number:

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/aggregate_decisions.py" \

--project-root "{project_root}" \

[--dry-run]

```

It renders each drop into `decision_log.md` (continuing the ADR

numbering), embeds a `Run-ID:` line for run-id ↔ ADR traceability, and

deletes only the drops it aggregated. Run with `--dry-run` first to

preview the numbers that will be assigned. Drops written after the

snapshot survive into the next release.

Fallback for non-iterate commits: if this release includes bullets that

weren't produced through iterate F4 (rare — e.g. a cherry-pick from an

unrelated branch), write them with `append_changelog_entry.py` BEFORE

running the aggregator; they land in the legacy `[Unreleased]` block

and surface as a warning at aggregation time.

See [changelog-format.md](references/changelog-format.md) for output

format details.

---

## Step 5: Preview and Confirm

**Goal:** Show the generated changelog entry to the user.

**Autonomous mode** (check `autonomy` in `shipwright_run_config.json`):

Skip preview confirmation. Proceed directly to Step 6.

**Guided mode** (default):

Present the full entry and ask:

```

AskUserQuestion:

question: "Review the changelog entry. Proceed?"

options:

- Accept

- Edit (describe changes)

- Cancel

```

If edit: apply changes and re-preview.

---

## Step 5.4: Sync Published Package Manifests

**Goal:** keep every declared published-package manifest's version in

lock-step with this release, tag and manifest by construction. Runs

BEFORE Step 5.5 — a worktree write must not land in the staging→commit

gap Step 6 warns about. Full contract: [manifest-sync.md](references/manifest-sync.md).

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/sync_release_manifests.py" \

--project-root . --version "{version}" --stage \

--result-file ".shipwright/runtime/manifest_sync_result.json"

```

`status: "ok"` → proceed, keeping `manifest_pathspec` for Step 6's commit

pathspec. **Anything else — stop, do not tag.** No config / no declared

manifests → no-op.

## Step 5.5: Refresh the Compliance Evidence Documents

The seven documents under `.shipwright/compliance/` ship *with* the release

instead of standing frozen. Why, and every refusal: [compliance-evidence.md](references/compliance-evidence.md).

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/refresh_compliance_docs.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --stage --release "v{version}"

```

`status: "ok"` → proceed. **Anything else → stop, do not tag.** Step 6's later `--verify-commit --release-audit` performs the release-authoritative full A-I compliance convergence (Group E included — not assessed by iterate delivery). `--release-audit` is what gates this; plain `--verify-commit` (adopt Step H's usage) stays a pure verifier and never touches the global backlog.

## Step 6: Commit and Tag

Commit **by explicit pathspec** — never `.shipwright/compliance/`, which commits

every tracked file under it and widens the pinned seven. Use Step 5.5's

`evidence_pathspec` and Step 5.4's `manifest_pathspec`: both omit any path

this project lacks / didn't declare, and a pathspec matching no file aborts

the whole commit.

```bash

git add CHANGELOG.md

git add .shipwright/agent_docs/decision_log.md .shipwright/agent_docs/decision_log_index.md # if Step 4 folded/refreshed

git add -A .shipwright/agent_docs/decision-drops/ .shipwright/planning/adr/ # stages Step 4's deletions + ADR-dir dirt — see below

git commit -m "chore(release): v{version}" -- \

CHANGELOG.md .shipwright/agent_docs/decision_log.md .shipwright/agent_docs/decision_log_index.md \

.shipwright/agent_docs/decision-drops/ .shipwright/planning/adr/ <every path from evidence_pathspec> \

<every path from manifest_pathspec> \

&& uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/refresh_compliance_docs.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --verify-commit "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" --release-audit \

&& uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/sync_release_manifests.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --version "{version}" \

--verify-commit "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" \

--result-file ".shipwright/runtime/manifest_sync_result.json" \

&& git tag -a v{version} -m "Release v{version}"

```

> `.shipwright/planning/adr/` is a DIRECTORY pathspec deliberately, and leaving it unstaged breaks CI — both in [compliance-evidence.md](references/compliance-evidence.md). `decision_log_index.md` needs the same treatment (Step 4 refreshes it every non-dry-run pass, drops or not) — leaving it unstaged reds `test_decision_log_index_producers.py::test_committed_index_is_not_stale` on main. `decision-drops/` is TRACKED (iterate-2026-08-08-track-decision-drops): Step 4 already deleted the drops it folded, and `-A` is what stages that deletion — skip it and the next release re-folds the same drops under new ADR numbers. `&&` withholds the tag on ANY nonzero exit here, including the audit subprocess failing to even start (e.g. `uv`/PyYAML unavailable) — a genuinely verified evidence commit with `status: "verified_release_audit_incomplete"` reads as environmental, not a real block; re-run once the dependency resolves. The manifest `--verify-commit` reads the COMMITTED blob, never the worktree — full contract in [manifest-sync.md](references/manifest-sync.md); a project with no declared manifests sees it report `status: "ok"` immediately, at negligible cost.

---

## Step 7: Create PR (Optional)

**Only if on a feature branch** (not main/develop).

```bash

gh pr create \

--title "Release v{version}" \

--body "## Changelog\n\n{entry}" \

--base main

```

> **Parallel iterates:** rebase-per-PR is expected, tagging is single-writer,

> and `CHANGELOG.md [Unreleased]` is the one merge hotspot. Detail:

> [release-workflow.md](references/release-workflow.md); full conventions live

> in `/shipwright-iterate` B1a.

**Autonomous mode:** After creating the PR, merge it immediately:

```bash

gh pr merge --merge --delete-branch

```

**Guided mode:** PR stays open for manual review and merge.

If already on main: skip PR, just push tag.

**Push tags and updated main to remote:**

```bash

git push --tags origin main

```

**Record changelog event** (captures version and PR URL for downstream consumers):

```bash

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/record_event.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" \

--type phase_completed \

--phase changelog \

--detail "v{version} — {PR_URL}"

```

Where `{shared_root}` = `{plugin_root}/../../shared`.

If no PR was created (on main), use `--detail "v{version} — tagged on main"`.

**Phase complete — update pipeline state:**

Canon C1/C2/C3 only — C4 and C5 are deliberately out; why:

[release-workflow.md](references/release-workflow.md).

```bash

: "${SHIPWRIGHT_RUN_ID:=changelog-v{version}-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)}"

export SHIPWRIGHT_RUN_ID

# C1 — already emitted as the phase_completed event above.

# C2 — delivery dashboard

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/update_build_dashboard.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --phase changelog --session-id "{SHIPWRIGHT_SESSION_ID}"

# C3 (NEW 12.4) — canon-marker handoff

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/generate_session_handoff.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --canon-marker --phase changelog \

--reason "release v{version}"

# phase_history (NEW 12.4)

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/append_phase_history.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --phase changelog --run-id "$SHIPWRIGHT_RUN_ID" \

--entry-json '{"version":"v{version}","outcome":"tagged"}'

uv run "{plugin_root}/../../plugins/shipwright-run/scripts/lib/orchestrator.py" \

update-step --project-root "$(pwd)" --step changelog --status complete

uv run "{shared_root}/scripts/tools/refresh_compliance_docs.py" \

--project-root "$(pwd)" --restore

```

**Print Summary:**

```

================================================================================

SHIPWRIGHT-CHANGELOG COMPLETE

================================================================================

Version: v{version}

Commits: {N} categorized

Changelog: CHANGELOG.md updated

Tag: v{version} created

PR: {PR_URL | "skipped (on main)"}

Tags + main pushed to origin

================================================================================

```

---

## Reference Documents

- [conventional-commits.md](references/conventional-commits.md) — Parsing rules

- [changelog-format.md](references/changelog-format.md) — Keep-a-Changelog format

- [compliance-evidence.md](references/compliance-evidence.md) — The seven evidence documents at release

- [manifest-sync.md](references/manifest-sync.md) — Published package manifest version sync + verify

- [release-workflow.md](references/release-workflow.md) — Parallel iterates; why the canon stops at C3