sbtrelease

sbtrelease is a plugin for the sbt build tool that automates the release process for sbt-based Scala projects. It aims to standardize and streamline the sequence of steps involved in preparing and publishing a new library version, reducing manual errors and repetitive tasks.

The typical release workflow encapsulated by sbtrelease includes checking for a clean working tree, running tests, updating version numbers in the build configuration, committing those changes, creating a release tag in the version control system, and pushing the tag to the remote repository. After tagging, the workflow often advances the version to a new development snapshot (for example moving from 1.2.3 to 1.2.4-SNAPSHOT) and commits this next-development version as part of the process. If configured, the release task can also publish artifacts to repositories such as Maven Central or Sonatype.

To use sbtrelease, the plugin is added to a project’s plugins configuration, and the project may provide settings to customize the version bump strategy, the naming of the next version, and any pre- or post-release steps. The release process is typically invoked from sbt with the release command, and it can run in an interactive mode or be scripted for automation.

Notes and limitations include reliance on a functioning Git repository with appropriate permissions and credentials for pushing tags. Complex multi-module builds may require additional configuration, and publishing to certain repositories may require signing or additional credentials. As with any release automation tool, careful testing of the workflow on a non-production repository is recommended before adopting it for public releases.