# Semantic Release Helper

This tool simplifies the setup of Semantic Release in your projects by automating the initial configuration.

## Installation

**Globally:**

```bash
npm install -g semantic-release-helper

As a development dependency:

npm install --save-dev semantic-release-helper

Usage

This package helps you set up Semantic Release in your project by creating a default .releaserc.json configuration file. This file is essential for Semantic Release to manage versioning and changelogs automatically.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (version 10 or later)
• npm package manager
• A GitHub repository where you want to configure Semantic Release

Installation

There are two ways to install semantic-release-helper:

1. Globally:

   This allows you to run the setup script from any project directory.

   npm install -g semantic-release-helper

2. As a development dependency:

   This installs the package only for your current project and adds it to your package.json file.

   npm install --save-dev semantic-release-helper

Running the Setup Script

1. Navigate to your project directory.

2. Run the following command:

   npx semantic-release-helper

   The setup script will guide you through a few interactive prompts:

   • Which branches should trigger releases?

     • Enter the branches that should trigger a release when changes are pushed (e.g., main, develop). Separate multiple branches with commas.

   • Do you want to customize plugins?

     • This allows you to choose which plugins to include in your release process. By default, the script uses the following plugins:

       • @semantic-release/commit-analyzer
       • @semantic-release/release-notes-generator
       • @semantic-release/changelog
       • @semantic-release/npm
       • @semantic-release/github
       • @semantic-release/git (for managing the CHANGELOG.md file)

     • If you choose to customize, you can select specific plugins from the list.

Configuration File

After running the setup script, a .releaserc.json file will be created in your project's root directory with the following default structure:

{
  "branches": ["main"],
  "plugins": [
    "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
    "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator",
    "@semantic-release/changelog",
    "@semantic-release/npm",
    "@semantic-release/github",
    ["@semantic-release/git", { "assets": ["CHANGELOG.md"] }]
  ]
}

Running Semantic Release

With the .releaserc.json file configured, integrate Semantic Release into your CI pipeline by adding the following command to your CI configuration file (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI):

npx semantic-release

This command will trigger Semantic Release to automatically:

• Analyze commit messages to determine the next version.
• Generate release notes and update the changelog.
• Publish the release to npm (if applicable).
• Create a GitHub release with the version information.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during setup, check the following:

• GitHub token permissions: Ensure your GitHub token has write permissions to push tags and releases to your repository.
• CI environment credentials: Verify that your CI environment has the correct credentials set up for GitHub or other hosting services.

Configuring the CI Workflow (e.g., GitHub Actions)

Here's an example workflow for GitHub Actions:

Create a .github/workflows/release.yml file with the following content:

name: Release

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main  # Change this to your release branch (e.g., 'master' or 'main')

jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '16'  # Adjust Node.js version as needed

      - run: npm install

      - env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_