Workflow

Relicta governs the full release flow — from analyzing changes to publishing with audit trails.

Quick Release (Recommended)

Run the complete workflow with a single command:

# Interactive release
relicta release

# CI/CD (auto-approve)
relicta release -y

# Preview without changes
relicta release --dry-run

This runs: plan → bump → notes → approve → publish

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Step-by-Step Workflow

For more control, run each step individually:

1) Plan

relicta plan
relicta plan -a  # Include detailed analysis

• Analyzes commits since the last tag.
• Calculates the required semantic bump.
• Shows a preview of the release plan.
• Flags: -f/--from, -t/--to, -a/--analyze, --json, --dry-run.

2) Generate notes (optional AI)

relicta notes -a   # Enable AI-powered notes
relicta notes --ai # Same as above

• Drafts release notes and changelog entries.
• Uses your configured AI provider and tone.
• Flags: -a/--ai, -s/--save, --tone, --audience, --json, --dry-run.

3) Approve

relicta approve
relicta approve -y  # Auto-approve without prompting

• Locks the plan and captures approval context.
• Keeps an audit trail before publishing.
• Flags: -y/--yes, -e/--edit, -i/--interactive, --by <name>, --note <text>.

4) Publish

relicta publish
relicta publish -P  # Skip pushing to remote

• Creates the tag and runs plugins (GitHub release, npm, Slack, etc.).
• Uses your config for tag prefix, push behavior, and targets.
• Flags: -A/--skip-approval, -T/--skip-tag, -P/--skip-push, -G/--skip-plugins.

Dry runs

Add --dry-run to preview without modifying the repo.

JSON + automation

Every command supports --json for structured output. Pair with jq to feed dashboards, chat notifications, or custom CI steps.

Common patterns

• Standard release: relicta release for interactive, relicta release -y for CI/CD.
• Local preview: relicta release --dry-run to validate the entire workflow.
• Approval flow: Have a second reviewer run relicta approve --by "<name>" --note "<context>" before publish.
• Force version: relicta release -F v2.0.0 to set a specific version.
• Hotfix: Run relicta plan -f <last-release> -t HEAD --json to verify the bump and publish from a hotfix branch; ensure branch is in allowed_branches.
• Skip push: relicta publish -P when CI handles git operations.

Governance integration

Enable risk-aware decisions with the Change Governance Protocol (CGP):

• Risk scoring: Automatic assessment of blast radius, actor trust, and security impact.
• Approval gates: Require human review for high-risk or breaking changes.
• Audit trails: Every decision is captured for compliance.