Automate GitHub Releases with Semantic Versioning

[thomasvincent]

Description

Implement an automated system for GitHub releases that applies semantic versioning rules based on commit messages. This system should utilize GitHub Actions to automate the release process whenever changes are merged into the main branch.

Goals

• Integrate an automated semantic versioning system.
• Automatically generate and publish GitHub releases with version tags and changelogs.

Tasks

• Research and choose an appropriate semantic versioning tool compatible with GitHub Actions (e.g., semantic-release).
• Create a .github/workflows/release.yml GitHub Actions workflow.
• Configure the semantic versioning tool to analyze commits and manage version increments.
• Set up changelog generation to be included in each release.
• Test the workflow to ensure it correctly handles version increments and release generation.

Acceptance Criteria

• Commits merged to main trigger an automated workflow.
• The system correctly identifies semantic changes (MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH) and adjusts versions accordingly.
• Releases are tagged and include an auto-generated changelog that documents changes.
• Documentation is provided to guide contributors on how to structure their commit messages.

Additional Notes

• Ensure that the initial setup includes default settings for handling edge cases in versioning.
• Consider fallback mechanisms if the semantic versioning tool fails to execute as expected.