how-to_release_a_new_version.md

How-to release a new version?

• Find the new version number

  • The version number of the REXS API is based on Semantic Versioning (see https://semver.org/)
  • To test the release process, a suffix like -alpha, -beta, -rc (also possible with numbering, e.g.: -rc1) can be used
  • Example: 0.9.0 or 0.9.0-rc1 for a test run

• Set version number in POMs and commit

$ mvn versions:set -DnewVersion=0.9.0 -DgenerateBackupPoms=false
$ git add pom.xml
$ git commit -m '[release] prepare release rexs-api-java-0.9.0'

• Set a tag

$ git tag -a v0.9.0 -m 'release 0.9.0'
$ git push origin v0.9.0

• The tag automatically creates a release using GitHub actions and publishes it in Maven Central

• Set and commit version number for further development

$ mvn versions:set -DnewVersion=0.10.0-SNAPSHOT -DgenerateBackupPoms=false
$ git add pom.xml
$ git commit -m '[release] prepare for next development iteration'
$ git push origin main

• Delete test versions from Maven Central
  • Test versions do not need to remain in Maven Central unnecessarily and should be deleted