release-patch

Bump the patch version, sync master, commit, push and publish an npm package — all with a single command.

release-patch wraps the repetitive steps of cutting a patch release so any package can adopt the same flow just by installing it.

What it does

When run from a package's root directory, it:

1. Logs in to npm if you are not already authenticated (npm login).
2. Syncs master with origin/master (git checkout master, git fetch, git merge).
3. Bumps the patch version without creating a git tag (npm version patch --no-git-tag-version).
4. Runs npm run build only if the package defines a build script and its version/postversion lifecycle scripts do not already run build.
5. Commits package.json and package-lock.json when present (chore: bump patch version).
6. Pushes to origin master.
7. Publishes to npm (npm publish).

npm version already updates package-lock.json when present, so release-patch does not run npm install. This also avoids triggering prepare during install.

npm publish still runs npm lifecycle scripts such as prepublishOnly, prepack, and prepare. Those hooks run after release-patch pushes the version commit, so they do not replace the pre-push build gate.

Install

npm install --save-dev release-patch

Usage

Add a script to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "release:patch": "release-patch"
  }
}

Then cut a release:

npm run release:patch

You can also run it ad hoc without adding a script:

npx release-patch

Requirements

• The package is a git repository with a master branch and an origin remote.
• You have publish rights to the package on npm.

License

ISC