[ChangelogLinker] Rethink component value || looking for motivated maintainer!

[TomasVotruba]

Changelog linker helps to generate changelog from merged pull-request. It's basically this link https://github.com/rectorphp/rector/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Amerged just in markdown.

• it logs in the GitHub api
• get all the merge-request
• sorts them by added/removed/etc. and by package
• dumps them to markdown

Saying that, what is the added value over it? The GitHub PR search is good enough and has more context as well, e.g. who did it, when it happened, what is the linked PR and linked issue etc.

Drawbacks ❌

• this component is very bugy, with last ID, merged content, automated merged
• it depends on release worfklow, that updated "unreleased" headlines
• when we look at downalods, there is currently only ~10 packages using it https://packagist.org/packages/symplify/changelog-linker/dependents?order_by=downloads
  Not much for given it's alive for 36 months - https://packagist.org/packages/symplify/changelog-linker/stats
• there might be better alternatives as https://www.npmjs.com/package/generate-changelog

2 More Important files 👀

• On the other hand release notes summary - https://github.com/rectorphp/rector/releases/tag/0.9.0, that summs-up effor from previous release

• and UPGRADE.md that shows how to upgrade, would deserve more attention.

Just dumping the idea here, that we might re-thing focus of this tool.

What to do? 🚀

• deprecate and suggest replacement
• refocus on releases
• replace with relases package
• put out to be adopted by community, like https://github.com/50bhan/symfony-route-usage

[TomasVotruba]

What do you think @samsonasik ?

[samsonasik]

@TomasVotruba I think deprecate seems ok, do we already have a suggested replacement?

[TomasVotruba]

As for replacements:

• for our projects - not use the changelog at all, as it does not bring any value over merged PRs - https://github.com/symplify/symplify/pulls?q=is%3Apr+sort%3Aupdated-desc+is%3Amerged
• for external projects that use it - e.g. https://www.npmjs.com/package/generate-changelog, in times of Docker it's pretty use non-PHP packages

[samsonasik]

that seems good 👍

[TomasVotruba]

1. We're looking for a Maintainer

The package is still available: https://github.com/symplify/changelog-linker

We're looking for you - let us know here or in #3027

2. Do you Need a replacement for This Package?

See far advanced and better maintained https://github.com/github-changelog-generator/github-changelog-generator

3. How does Symplify continues without CHANGELOG?

We're switching to GitHub releases https://docs.github.com/en/github/administering-a-repository/managing-releases-in-a-repository

[drupol]

• for external projects that use it - e.g. https://www.npmjs.com/package/generate-changelog, in times of Docker it's pretty use non-PHP packages

I use https://www.npmjs.com/package/auto-changelog for all my projects and it's a pure joy.

Thanks to the keepachangelog format, every time a release is tagged, it creates a github release with the proper part of the changelog in the body. Amazing!

Example: https://github.com/loophp/collection/releases

[TomasVotruba]

This looks like 1:1 PHP replacement - https://github.com/ergebnis/github-changelog
What do you think @localheinz?

[TomasVotruba]

Closing as there is no interest in taking over the package.
If you need this solution, replacement packages are mentioned in comments above.

[localheinz]

@TomasVotruba

Thank you for mentioning me, but I currently have too much on my plate already!

[TomasVotruba]

Thanks for reaching out 👍 I didn't mean to give you more work, but suggest your package https://github.com/ergebnis/github-changelog as a replacement :)

[alanbem]

Maybe look into https://github.com/aeon-php/automation