Using semantic-release to automate releases and changelogs

The article provides a comprehensive guide on automating releases and release notes using semantic-release in GitLab, focusing on the integration of semantic-release—a Node CLI application—to publish npm packages in a private GitLab registry. It explains the challenges of versioning and release synchronization, demonstrating how semantic-release automates this process through semantic versioning and conventional commits. The article outlines setting up semantic-release with GitLab, including configuring a GitLab CI/CD pipeline, installing necessary plugins, and handling authentication via environment variables. It describes using various semantic-release plugins to analyze commits, generate changelogs, and publish releases, while also discussing the flexibility of the workflow through configurable options and plugins. The article further explores handling branches, breaking changes, and merge requests, emphasizing the importance of conventional commit messages and testing configurations with dry runs. The guide concludes by highlighting the adaptability of semantic-release workflows across different CI services and the potential for integrating pre-commit hooks to enforce commit conventions.