HOW_TO_RELEASE.md

How to Release Fastscapelib

Some instructions on how to make a new release of Fastscapelib (work-in-progress).

1. Make sure that your local copy of the main branch is up-to-date with https://github.com/fastscape-lem/fastscapelib.

2. Check and update the release notes in the documentation (include the names of contributors). Commit the changes with the message prepare for release vx.y.z (where "x.y.z" should be replaced by the actual version number).

3. Run tbump x.y.z --dry-run from the project's root directory and check the changes that will be made. If everything looks good, run tbump z.y.z. If you need to install tbump first, see https://github.com/your-tools/tbump.

4. Push the main branch with the last commits to https://github.com/fastscape-lem/fastscapelib.

5. On the GitHub repository https://github.com/fastscape-lem/fastscapelib, go in the "Actions" tab, select the "Python wheels" action and run the workflow manually from the main branch using the button from the GUI.

6. Wait for all running CI workflows (on the main branch) to succeed.

7. Check the release notes on https://fastscapelib.readthedocs.io/ (once the new documentation version has been built and uploaded on ReadTheDocs).

8. If everything looks good, go to https://github.com/fastscape-lem/fastscapelib/releases and click on the "draft a new release" button. Create a new release vx.y.z using the tag x.y.z and copy the release notes (summary) from the documentation. This should trigger building the Python wheels and upload them to https://pypi.org/.

9. After some time, a new pull-request should be opened automatically in the https://github.com/conda-forge/fastscapelib-feedstock repository in order to create new packages on conda-forge. You can also create a new pull-request manually.

10. Run tbump u.v.w --only-patch with the next version number (development) and push the changes.