diff --git a/release.js b/release.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddeb433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.js
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+
+/*
+    build by running
+        npm run build
+
+    guid and uuid will be automatically generated and placed
+    inside .env file which will then be read by the github workflow
+    build script.
+*/
+
+/*
+    This script handles the following:
+        - read package.json
+        - create .env file
+        - return uuid, guid, version
+
+    can be called with the following external commands:
+        - node release.js                   returns version of app
+        - node release.js generate          generates uuid / guid and shows all env vars in console
+        - node release.js uuid              returns app uuid
+        - node release.js guid              returns app guid
+        - node release.js versiom           returns version of app
+
+    can be called with the following app commands:
+        - npm run release
+        - npm run release:generate
+        - npm run env-release
+        - npm run env-uuid
+        - npm run env-guid
+        - npm run env-version
+*/
+
+const fs = require( 'fs' )
+const { v5: uuid } = require( 'uuid' )
+
+/*
+ *    declrations > package.json
+ */
+
+const { version, repository } = JSON.parse( fs.readFileSync( 'package.json' ) )
+const args = process.argv.slice( 2, process.argv.length )
+const action = args[ 0 ]
+// const a       = args[ 1 ];
+// const b       = args[ 2 ];
+
+if ( action === 'guid' )
+{
+    console.log( `${ process.env.GUID }` )
+}
+else if ( action === 'setup' )
+{
+    fs.writeFileSync( '.env', '', ( err ) =>
+    {
+        if ( err )
+        {
+            console.error( err )
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            console.log( 'Wrote to .env successfully' )
+        }
+    } )
+}
+else if ( action === 'generate' )
+{
+    const buildGuid = uuid( `${ repository.url }`, uuid.URL )
+    const buildUuid = uuid( version, buildGuid )
+
+    const ids = `
+VERSION=${ version }
+GUID=${ buildGuid }
+UUID=${ buildUuid }
+`
+
+    console.log( version )
+    console.log( buildGuid )
+    console.log( buildUuid )
+
+    fs.writeFileSync( '.env', ids, ( err ) =>
+    {
+        if ( err )
+        {
+            console.error( `Could not write env vars: ${ err }` )
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            console.log( 'Wrote env vars to .env' )
+        }
+    } )
+}
+else if ( action === 'uuid' )
+{
+    console.log( `${ process.env.UUID }` )
+}
+else
+{
+    console.log( version )
+}
+
+process.exit( 0 )