Provide a changelog

What
A changelog is a file or document that lists and describes the changes, updates, and fixes made to a project or software between versions.
Why
Providing a changelog helps users and developers understand the scope and impact of changes, ensuring transparent communication and facilitating easier tracking of updates and bug fixes.
When
Release
Implementations:
  • git-cliff
    • Provides a customizable and automated experience for generating changelogs
    • Relies on using Conventional Commits
    • Generates a changelog file
    • Adds another tool in the release process
  • GitHub Release Notes
    • Built into GitHub
    • Does not generate a CHANGELOG file and instead adds to release notes
    • Not usable if not using GitHub
  • Manually generate release notes
    • Requires contributors to describe their changes without requiring a specific commit style
    • Requires manual intervention and adds a review step to contributions
See also:
Note and communicate breaking changesHave a way for downstreams to test changes