PUBLISHING.md

Release Checklist

Use this checklist before publishing a GitHub release.

Source tree checks

• Confirm the repository contains only source, docs, and assets that should be public.
• Do not commit generated binaries in a release branch.
• Keep screenshots and documentation current.
• Verify the license file is present and matches the intended open-source license.

Build checks

• Build the plugin in MSYS2 UCRT64 with make.
• Confirm the DLL is produced successfully.
• Test the DLL in a local Notepad++ installation.
• Verify dark theme and light theme behavior if both are supported.

Packaging checks

• Include the built DLL in the release archive.
• Include any installation notes that users need.
• Keep the archive name consistent with the version tag.
• Attach a short changelog summary to the GitHub release notes.

Versioning checks

• Update the version string if the project uses one in future releases.
• Update CHANGELOG.md with the release summary.
• Tag the release in Git before creating the GitHub release.

Final publish checks

• Confirm the README links still work.
• Confirm the issue template and support links still point to valid GitHub locations.
• Rebuild one last time after the final documentation edits.