ProxySQL Release Tools

This directory contains Python scripts to help generate release notes and changelogs for ProxySQL releases.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6+
• Git command line tools
• GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated (for scripts that fetch PR details)

Scripts Overview

1. categorize_commits.py

Categorizes git commits based on keywords in commit messages.

Usage:

python categorize_commits.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0
python categorize_commits.py --input-file /tmp/commits.txt --output-format text

Options:

• --from-tag, --to-tag: Git tags/branches to compare
• --input-file: Read commits from a file (format: git log --pretty=format:'%H|%s|%b')
• --output-format: markdown (default) or text
• --verbose: Show detailed output

2. generate_changelog.py

Generates a changelog from git merge commits (pull requests). Uses second parent of merge commits to get PR-specific commits.

Usage:

python generate_changelog.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0 --output changelog.md

Options:

• --from-tag, --to-tag: Git tags/branches to compare
• --output, -o: Output file (default: changelog.md)
• --verbose: Show progress

3. `generate_release_notes.py**

Generates formatted release notes using GitHub API (via gh CLI). Provides automatic categorization based on PR labels and titles, with optional manual mapping.

Usage:

python generate_release_notes.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0 --output release-notes.md
python generate_release_notes.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0 --config category_mapping.json --verbose

Options:

• --from-tag, --to-tag: Git tags/branches to compare
• --output, -o: Output file for release notes (default: release-notes.md)
• --changelog, -c: Output file for detailed changelog
• --config: JSON file with manual category mapping (see example)
• --verbose: Show detailed progress

4. fetch_prs.py (legacy)

Legacy script that was used for ProxySQL 3.0.4. Consider using generate_release_notes.py instead.

5. gen_release_notes.py (legacy)

Legacy script with hardcoded mapping for 3.0.4.

Category Mapping

For generate_release_notes.py, you can provide a JSON file with manual categorization overrides. The format can be:

{
  "5259": ["Bug Fixes", "MySQL"],
  "5257": ["New Features", "MySQL"],
  "5258": "Documentation"
}

Each key is a PR number. The value can be:

• A string: category name (e.g., "Documentation")
• An array: [category, subcategory] (e.g., ["New Features", "PostgreSQL"])

See category_mapping.example.json for a complete example.

Complete Workflow with LLM Integration

For high-quality release notes like ProxySQL v3.0.3, use the orchestrated workflow:

Option 1: Automated Orchestration (Recommended)

# Run the complete workflow
python orchestrate_release.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0.4 --output-dir release-data --verbose

# This generates:
# - release-data/pr-data-3.0.4.json        # PR details from GitHub
# - release-data/pr-summary-3.0.4.md        # PR summary
# - release-data/structured-notes-3.0.4.md  # Commit-level data
# - release-data/llm-prompt-3.0.4.md        # Complete prompt for LLM
# - release-data/workflow-summary.md        # Instructions summary

Option 2: Manual Steps

Step 1: Prepare the environment

Ensure you're on the correct branch and have all tags fetched:

git fetch --tags
git checkout v3.0  # or your release branch

Step 2: Collect PR data for LLM analysis

python collect_pr_data.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0.4 --output pr-data.json --verbose

Step 3: Generate structured analysis files

python generate_structured_notes.py --input pr-data.json --output structured-notes.md --verbose
python categorize_commits.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0.4 --output-format markdown > commit-categories.md

Step 4: Provide data to LLM with this enhanced prompt:

Generate comprehensive, human-readable release notes for ProxySQL 3.0.4 using the provided data files. Focus on creating descriptive content that explains what each feature/fix does and why it matters.

## Available Data Files
1. `pr-data.json` - All PR details from GitHub including titles, descriptions, labels
2. `structured-notes.md` - Commit-level organized data with technical details
3. `commit-categories.md` - Commits categorized by type (bug fix, feature, documentation, etc.)

## Requirements

### Structure
- Start with a **concise introduction paragraph** summarizing the release's significance
- Include a **"Highlights" section** with 4-6 bullet points summarizing key improvements
- Organize changes under: New Features, Bug Fixes, Improvements, Documentation, Testing, Build/Packaging, Other Changes
- Each major section should have a **brief introductory sentence** explaining its theme
- End with the release commit hash in backticks

### Writing Style
- Write **descriptive paragraphs** for each feature/fix (2-4 sentences minimum)
- Explain **what the change does** and **why it matters** to users/administrators
- Use **complete sentences** with proper grammar and flow
- Maintain a **professional yet accessible** tone

### Technical Formatting
- Wrap **all technical terms** in backticks:
  - Function names: `Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile()`
  - Variable names: `wait_timeout`, `cur_cmd_cmnt`
  - SQL queries: `SELECT @@version`, `SELECT VERSION()`
  - Protocol commands: `COM_PING`, `CLIENT_DEPRECATE_EOF`
  - Configuration options: `cache_empty_result=0`
  - Metrics: `PgSQL_Monitor_ssl_connections_OK`
- Include **commit hashes (short form)** and **PR numbers** in parentheses after each item
- Remove any `[WIP]`, `[skip-ci]`, or similar tags
- Use **bold for feature/fix names** followed by commit/PR references

### Section Guidelines
- **Highlights**: Focus on user/administrator benefits
- **New Features**: Group related features under subcategories (PostgreSQL Improvements, MySQL Protocol Enhancements, etc.)
- **Bug Fixes**: Clearly state the problem, then explain the solution
- **Improvements**: Focus on performance, stability, and efficiency enhancements
- **Other sections**: Explain practical value (better maintainability, expanded platform support, etc.)

### Example Format for Each Entry:

Feature Name (abc1234, #1234) Descriptive paragraph explaining what this feature does and why it matters. Include technical details like technical terms in backticks. Explain benefits to users/administrators.

### Output Files
- `ProxySQL-3.0.4-Release-Notes-Enhanced.md` - Main enhanced release notes
- `CHANGELOG-3.0.4-detailed.md` - Detailed changelog (optional)
- `CHANGELOG-3.0.4-commits.md` - Complete commit list (optional)

### Tone & Audience
Write for database administrators, developers, system architects, and open source contributors. The notes should be informative for technical decision-making while remaining accessible to those with general database/proxy knowledge.

Option 3: Quick Generation (Without LLM)

For basic changelogs without descriptive analysis:

python generate_release_notes.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0.4 --output release-notes.md --changelog detailed-changelog.md --verbose
python generate_changelog.py --from-tag v3.0.3 --to-tag v3.0.4 --output changelog.md

Examples

See the examples/ directory for output generated for ProxySQL 3.0.4:

• ProxySQL-3.0.4-Release-Notes.md: Final release notes
• ProxySQL-3.0.4-Release-Notes-Enhanced.md: Enhanced release notes with descriptive paragraphs, highlights section, and improved readability (recommended)
• CHANGELOG-3.0.4-detailed.md: Detailed changelog with PR summaries
• CHANGELOG-3.0.4-commits.md: Complete list of commits

The enhanced release notes (ProxySQL-3.0.4-Release-Notes-Enhanced.md) demonstrate the recommended format with:

• Highlights section summarizing key improvements
• Descriptive paragraphs explaining what each feature/fix does and why it matters
• Section introductions providing context
• Consistent backtick formatting for technical terms
• Improved readability for human audiences

A standalone enhanced prompt template is available as examples/enhanced_prompt_template.md for easy copying and customization.

Generating Descriptive Release Notes

ProxySQL release notes (see v3.0.3 example) are descriptive, not just collections of PR titles. They:

1. Group related changes under feature categories
2. Describe what each feature/fix does and why it matters
3. Reference PR numbers and commit hashes
4. Use backticks around technical terms

The scripts in this directory help collect data, but the LLM should:

1. Analyze PR descriptions and commit messages
2. Write descriptive paragraphs explaining changes
3. Group related changes logically
4. Apply backtick formatting to technical terms

For enhanced release notes with highlights sections, section introductions, and improved readability, use the enhanced prompt template provided in Step 4 of the Complete Workflow section. This template guides the LLM to create more user-friendly release notes with:

• Highlights section summarizing key improvements
• Descriptive paragraphs explaining what each feature/fix does and why it matters
• Section introductions providing context
• Consistent backtick formatting for all technical terms
• Improved readability for human audiences

Backtick Formatting for Technical Terms

ProxySQL release notes use backticks (`) around technical terms such as:

• Function names: Read_Global_Variables_from_configfile()
• Variable names: wait_timeout, cur_cmd_cmnt
• SQL queries: SELECT @@version, SELECT VERSION()
• Protocol commands: COM_PING, CLIENT_DEPRECATE_EOF
• Configuration options: cache_empty_result=0
• Metrics: PgSQL_Monitor_ssl_connections_OK

The scripts do not automatically apply backtick formatting. When generating final release notes with the LLM, ensure you:

1. Manually add backticks around technical terms
2. Use the LLM's understanding of the codebase to identify what needs formatting
3. Review the final output for consistency

Tips

1. GitHub CLI Authentication: Ensure gh auth login has been run and you have permissions to access the repository.

2. Tag Names: Use exact tag names (e.g., v3.0.3) or branch names (e.g., HEAD for current branch).

3. Manual Review: Always review the generated notes. Automatic categorization is not perfect.

4. Customization: Feel free to modify the categorization keywords in the scripts to match your project's conventions.

License

These tools are part of the ProxySQL project and follow the same licensing terms.