Generate release notes from the changelog

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -51,6 +51,29 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
+      - name: Generate release notes
+        id: release-notes
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $releaseJson = gh release list `
+            --repo "$env:GITHUB_REPOSITORY" `
+            --limit 1 `
+            --json tagName
+          if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+            throw "Could not determine the previous release."
+          }
+          $releases = @($releaseJson | ConvertFrom-Json)
+          $previousTag = if ($releases.Count -gt 0) { $releases[0].tagName } else { "" }
+          $notesPath = Join-Path $env:RUNNER_TEMP "captail-$env:VERSION-release-notes.md"
+          ./tools/New-ReleaseNotes.ps1 `
+            -Version $env:VERSION `
+            -PreviousTag $previousTag `
+            -Repository $env:GITHUB_REPOSITORY `
+            -OutputPath $notesPath
+          "path=$notesPath" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+
       - name: Set up .NET
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@a98b56852c35b8e3190ac28c8c2271da59106c68 # v6
         with:
@@ -200,19 +223,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Publish GitHub Release
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          $intro = @"
-          > [!WARNING]
-          > Captail $env:VERSION is an early public preview. Bugs and hardware-specific issues are expected.
-
-          **Recommended:** download the Setup EXE. It includes Captail, .NET, and required libobs components and creates a Windows uninstaller.
-
-          **Portable:** extract the entire ZIP before launching `Captail.exe`.
-
-          Tested on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 and RTX 50 series. Older NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel hardware still needs broader public testing. Please report results and bugs through GitHub Issues.
-
-          Release binaries are not Authenticode-signed. Verify `SHA256SUMS.txt` and GitHub build provenance.
-          "@
-
           $assets = @(
             (Join-Path $env:RELEASE_DIR "Captail-$env:VERSION-Portable-win-x64.zip"),
             (Join-Path $env:RELEASE_DIR "Captail-$env:VERSION-Setup-win-x64.exe"),
@@ -224,8 +234,7 @@ jobs:
             "--repo", $env:GITHUB_REPOSITORY,
             "--target", $env:GITHUB_SHA,
             "--title", "Captail v$env:VERSION",
-            "--notes", $intro,
-            "--generate-notes"
+            "--notes-file", '${{ steps.release-notes.outputs.path }}'
           )
           if ('${{ inputs.prerelease }}' -eq 'true') {
             $arguments += "--prerelease"

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -10,10 +10,29 @@ All notable user-facing changes are documented here.
 
 - Update downloads now close their file handles before promoting verified packages or replacing an invalid cached package, preventing Windows file-lock errors during one-click updates.
 
-### Upgrade note
+### Upgrade notes
 
 - Captail 0.1.3 and 0.1.4 cannot complete an in-app update because the bug is inside those installed versions. Download and run the 0.1.5 Setup EXE once; later in-app updates will work normally.
 
+## [0.1.4] - 2026-08-02
+
+### Added
+
+- Replay library with every saved clip in a vertically scrollable list.
+- Built-in clip editor with responsive video preview, a single trim range, separate system/game and microphone track controls, save-as-copy, and confirmed overwrite.
+- Clip details showing estimated trimmed size, original size, resolution, frame rate, and codec.
+- Automatic desktop-to-game capture switching, plus a game-only mode that leaves the desktop out of recordings.
+
+### Changed
+
+- Replay cards now reveal compact actions on hover instead of using a large edge glow.
+- FFmpeg and FFplay are included with Captail, so clip preview and trimming need no separate download.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Clean installations now receive the FFmpeg runtime required by the editor.
+- Preview rendering keeps the complete frame visible instead of showing only its upper-left region.
+
 ## [0.1.3] - 2026-07-26
 
 ### Added

docs/RELEASE_NOTES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+# Writing Captail release notes
+
+Release notes answer three user questions:
+
+1. What changed?
+2. Why does it matter to me?
+3. Must I do anything before or after updating?
+
+`CHANGELOG.md` is the source for GitHub Release descriptions. The release workflow extracts the matching version section and adds package, compatibility, verification, and full-changelog links automatically.
+
+## Before writing
+
+Review every commit and merged pull request since the previous tag. For each user-visible change, record:
+
+- what changed;
+- which users or workflows it affects;
+- the practical benefit or resolved problem;
+- any required upgrade action;
+- limitations that remain.
+
+Do not infer a feature from a filename or commit title. Check the implementation, pull request description, or validation evidence.
+
+## Required changelog format
+
+Move completed entries from `[Unreleased]` into a version section before starting the release workflow:
+
+```markdown
+## [0.2.0] - 2026-08-15
+
+### Added
+
+- **Replay search:** Find saved clips by game or filename without browsing folders manually.
+
+### Improved
+
+- **Game detection:** Games are recognized sooner after launch, reducing desktop footage at the start of a clip.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed microphone audio disappearing after its device reconnects.
+
+### Upgrade notes
+
+- **Action required:** Install this version manually if updating from 0.1.3 or 0.1.4.
+```
+
+The version must match the workflow input exactly. Use `YYYY-MM-DD` for the date. Omit empty categories.
+
+## Categories
+
+- `Added`: new user-facing capabilities.
+- `Improved`: an existing workflow became faster, clearer, or more capable.
+- `Fixed`: a user-visible problem no longer occurs.
+- `Upgrade notes`: users must take an action or should expect a one-time behavior.
+- `Breaking changes`: existing settings, files, hotkeys, or workflows stop being compatible.
+- `Known limitations`: important constraints still present in this release.
+
+## Writing rules
+
+- Lead with user impact, not implementation details.
+- Use one bullet per change and keep it to one or two sentences.
+- Use plain language. Explain technical terms only when users need them to act.
+- Be specific about affected versions, capture modes, codecs, or hardware.
+- Include measured performance only when the test setup and result are recorded.
+- State uncertainty directly. Do not claim untested GPU or codec support.
+- Do not paste commit titles, ticket numbers, validation logs, or dependency bumps into user notes.
+- Do not describe routine refactoring unless it changes behavior, reliability, security, or performance.
+- Do not use promotional claims such as “best,” “perfect,” or “production-ready.”
+
+## Generate a local preview
+
+```powershell
+.\tools\New-ReleaseNotes.ps1 `
+  -Version 0.2.0 `
+  -PreviousTag v0.1.5 `
+  -OutputPath "$env:TEMP\captail-release-notes.md"
+
+Get-Content "$env:TEMP\captail-release-notes.md"
+```
+
+Check that the preview:
+
+- begins with the changes rather than build-system details;
+- includes every required user action;
+- contains no empty heading;
+- uses correct package names and compare links;
+- matches the English wording used in Captail.
+
+## After publishing
+
+Open the release page and confirm its version, text, assets, checksums, prerelease state, and full-changelog link. Never replace binaries under an existing tag; publish a new patch version instead.

docs/RELEASING.md

@@ -11,6 +11,24 @@ Each release contains:
 
 ## Create a release
 
+Before running the workflow:
+
+1. Review changes since the previous tag.
+2. Move completed entries from `[Unreleased]` into a dated version section in `CHANGELOG.md`.
+3. Follow [RELEASE_NOTES.md](RELEASE_NOTES.md) for categories, wording, and required upgrade notices.
+4. Preview the generated GitHub Release description locally:
+
+```powershell
+.\tools\New-ReleaseNotes.ps1 `
+  -Version 0.1.6 `
+  -PreviousTag v0.1.5 `
+  -OutputPath "$env:TEMP\captail-release-notes.md"
+```
+
+Commit and merge the changelog before dispatching the release. The workflow stops if it cannot find a non-empty section matching the requested version.
+
+Then start the release from GitHub:
+
 From GitHub:
 
 1. Open **Actions**.
@@ -29,7 +47,14 @@ gh workflow run release.yml `
   -f prerelease=true
 ```
 
-The workflow validates the version, builds and verifies both packages, creates tag `v0.1.1`, and publishes the GitHub Release.
+The workflow validates the version, builds and verifies both packages, creates tag `v0.1.1`, and publishes the GitHub Release using the matching changelog section.
+
+After publishing, verify:
+
+- release title, version, and prerelease status;
+- Installer, Portable ZIP, and `SHA256SUMS.txt` assets;
+- generated release notes and full-changelog link;
+- GitHub build-provenance attestations.
 
 ## Local package build
 

tools/New-ReleaseNotes.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+[CmdletBinding()]
+param(
+    [Parameter(Mandatory)]
+    [ValidatePattern('^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$')]
+    [string]$Version,
+
+    [Parameter(Mandatory)]
+    [string]$OutputPath,
+
+    [string]$ChangelogPath = "",
+
+    [string]$Repository = "FaulMit/captail",
+
+    [string]$PreviousTag = ""
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+$repoRoot = [IO.Path]::GetFullPath((Join-Path $PSScriptRoot ".."))
+if (-not $ChangelogPath) {
+    $ChangelogPath = Join-Path $repoRoot "CHANGELOG.md"
+}
+
+if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $ChangelogPath -PathType Leaf)) {
+    throw "Changelog not found: $ChangelogPath"
+}
+
+$changelog = Get-Content -LiteralPath $ChangelogPath -Raw
+$escapedVersion = [Regex]::Escape($Version)
+$pattern = "(?ms)^## \[$escapedVersion\] - (?<date>\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})\r?\n(?<body>.*?)(?=^## \[|\z)"
+$match = [Regex]::Match($changelog, $pattern)
+if (-not $match.Success) {
+    throw "CHANGELOG.md has no release section for [$Version]."
+}
+
+$changeBody = $match.Groups["body"].Value.Trim()
+if (-not $changeBody) {
+    throw "CHANGELOG.md release section [$Version] is empty."
+}
+
+# Changelog entries are nested below version headings. Promote their headings
+# one level when the entry becomes a standalone GitHub Release description.
+$changeBody = [Regex]::Replace($changeBody, '(?m)^### ', '## ')
+
+$lines = [Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()
+$lines.Add("> [!WARNING]")
+$lines.Add("> Captail $Version is an early public preview. Bugs and hardware-specific issues are expected.")
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add($changeBody)
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add("## Downloads")
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add("- **Installer (recommended):** ``Captail-$Version-Setup-win-x64.exe`` includes Captail, .NET, libobs, FFmpeg, and an uninstaller.")
+$lines.Add("- **Portable:** extract the entire ``Captail-$Version-Portable-win-x64.zip`` before launching ``Captail.exe``.")
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add("## Compatibility and feedback")
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add("Captail is tested on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 and RTX 50 series. Older NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel hardware needs broader public testing. Report problems through [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/$Repository/issues).")
+$lines.Add("")
+$lines.Add("Release binaries are not Authenticode-signed yet. Windows may show an unknown-publisher or SmartScreen warning. Use ``SHA256SUMS.txt`` and GitHub build provenance to verify the download.")
+
+if ($PreviousTag) {
+    $lines.Add("")
+    $lines.Add("**Full changelog:** https://github.com/$Repository/compare/$PreviousTag...v$Version")
+}
+
+$outputFullPath = [IO.Path]::GetFullPath($OutputPath)
+$outputDirectory = [IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($outputFullPath)
+if ($outputDirectory) {
+    [IO.Directory]::CreateDirectory($outputDirectory) | Out-Null
+}
+
+$notes = ($lines -join [Environment]::NewLine).TrimEnd() + [Environment]::NewLine
+[IO.File]::WriteAllText(
+    $outputFullPath,
+    $notes,
+    [Text.UTF8Encoding]::new($false))
+
+Write-Host "Release notes written to $outputFullPath"