Manage Software Releases

A Release enables you to provide a stable code and artifacts of your applications that project users can download. For a release, you can specify tags or branches of Git repositories with stable code, artifacts of project Maven repository, build artifacts of stable builds, and binary files.

For example, you can you create a release titled V18-Q1 to mark stable code files, artifacts, and binaries of your application for the first quarter release of 2018 release. Project users then won’t have to look around or ask which Git repository or branch has the stable code. They can then download Git repository archives and other artifacts of the V18-Q1 release from the Release page itself.

You can access and manage releases from the Releases page. When a project user opens a release, the user can download source snapshots of a specified branch or tag of the project Git repository, artifacts from the project Maven repository, specified binaries, and archived build artifacts.

Release States

A release can be in Draft, Pre-Release, or Public state.

State Description

State	Description
Draft	Indicates that the features of the release are under development. When you create a release, you specify the Maven artifacts and the Git repository tags. While adding a Git repository to a release, you may want to specify a branch that has the stable code at the time of release. Usually, it’s the `master` branch, but you can specify any branch name. You may also want to specify the Git repository tag that indicates the stable state of the branch. Usually, the tag is created before the release when the code in the branch is stable. While creating a Release, if you specify a tag name that doesn’t exist, it’s automatically created when you change the status of the Release to Public.
Pre-Release	Indicates that the release is stable, but might need some fixes before it’s made Public. You usually set the release’s status to this state when you and your team have completed all features, staged the software, and are waiting for approvals to release the software. If the Maven artifacts, Git repositories, tags, or branch names have changed since the release was in the Draft state, edit the release and update the artifacts.
Public	Indicates that the release is public or is ready to go public. While creating a release, if you specify a tag name that doesn’t exist, it’s automatically created for the specified branch when the release is set to Public. If you’ve specified an existing tag name, it’s used. This might be useful when you create a release, which is already public. You might want to edit the release and update the Maven artifacts, Git repositories, tags, or branch names if they have changed while the release was in the Pre-Release or the Draft state.

Draft

Indicates that the features of the release are under development.

When you create a release, you specify the Maven artifacts and the Git repository tags. While adding a Git repository to a release, you may want to specify a branch that has the stable code at the time of release. Usually, it’s the master branch, but you can specify any branch name. You may also want to specify the Git repository tag that indicates the stable state of the branch. Usually, the tag is created before the release when the code in the branch is stable. While creating a Release, if you specify a tag name that doesn’t exist, it’s automatically created when you change the status of the Release to Public.

Pre-Release

Indicates that the release is stable, but might need some fixes before it’s made Public.

You usually set the release’s status to this state when you and your team have completed all features, staged the software, and are waiting for approvals to release the software. If the Maven artifacts, Git repositories, tags, or branch names have changed since the release was in the Draft state, edit the release and update the artifacts.

Public

Indicates that the release is public or is ready to go public.

While creating a release, if you specify a tag name that doesn’t exist, it’s automatically created for the specified branch when the release is set to Public. If you’ve specified an existing tag name, it’s used. This might be useful when you create a release, which is already public.

You might want to edit the release and update the Maven artifacts, Git repositories, tags, or branch names if they have changed while the release was in the Pre-Release or the Draft state.

Create a Release

When you create a release, you specify the build artifacts, Git repositories and branches, and Maven artifacts. You can create a release or clone an existing release.

Action	How To
Create a release	In the navigation bar, click Releases . Click + Create Release. In Name and Description, enter a release name and description. In Status, specify the status of the release. Add the artifacts. In Notes, enter the release notes in the Page Text tab. Preview the notes in the Preview tab. You can use the project’s wiki markup language to format the notes. Scroll to the top of the page and click Save.
Clone a release	In the navigation bar, click Releases . Select the release that you want to edit or clone, click Actions and then select Clone. In Name and Description, enter a release name and description. In Status, specify the status of the release. Add, update, or remove the artifacts. In Notes, enter the release notes in the Page Text tab. Preview the notes in the Preview tab. You can use the project’s wiki markup language to format the notes. Scroll to the top of the page and click Save.

Action

How To

Create a release

In the navigation bar, click Releases .
Click + Create Release.
In Name and Description, enter a release name and description.
In Status, specify the status of the release.
Add the artifacts.
In Notes, enter the release notes in the Page Text tab. Preview the notes in the Preview tab.

You can use the project’s wiki markup language to format the notes.
Scroll to the top of the page and click Save.

Clone a release

In the navigation bar, click Releases .
Select the release that you want to edit or clone, click Actions and then select Clone.
In Name and Description, enter a release name and description.
In Status, specify the status of the release.
Add, update, or remove the artifacts.
In Notes, enter the release notes in the Page Text tab. Preview the notes in the Preview tab.

You can use the project’s wiki markup language to format the notes.
Scroll to the top of the page and click Save.

Specify Artifacts of a Release

You can specify a release’s artifacts when you create it or edit it.

Action	How To
Add Build artifacts	Expand Builds and specify the job, build number, and its artifact. Click Add to Release to add the artifact. You can specify multiple artifacts. To use the last build of the specified job when the release’s status changes to Public, in Build, select Last Build. When the release’s status changes to Public, make sure that the last build is successful and has generated desired artifacts. To store the artifact in the project’s storage system, in case the specified job or build is removed, select the Store check box.
Add Maven artifacts	Expand Maven Artifacts and specify the group ID, artifact ID, and version of artifacts. Click Add to Release to add the artifact. You can specify multiple artifacts.
Add Git repositories	Expand Repositories, and specify Git repositories and branches (or tags). Click Add to Release to add the artifact. You can specify multiple artifacts. If you enter a tag name that doesn't exist, a Git repository tag of the same name is created when the release is marked as Public.
Add binary artifacts	You can add binary artifacts only when you edit a release. You can’t add binary artifacts when you create a release. Expand Binaries and upload the binary files.

Change a Release’s Status

You can change the status of a release from the Edit Release page.

In the navigation bar, click Releases .
In the Release list, select the release whose status you want to change.
On the right, click Actions and select Edit.
In the Edit Release page, change the selected Status option to the desired state.
Click Save.

A notification about the change in the state of the release is displayed in the Activity Feed of the Project Home page.

Manage Releases

After creating a release, you can edit its artifacts and properties, change its status, or delete it.

Action	How To
Edit a release	On the Releases page, select the release that you want to edit. Click Actions and then select Edit. On the Edit Release page, update its name, description, artifacts, and click Save.
Change a release’s state	Edit a release. On the Edit Release page, in Status, change the state. The name of the release at the top of the page shows the selected release state.
Delete a release	On the Releases page, select the release that you want to edit. Click Actions and then select Delete.

Download Artifacts of a Release

To download an artifact, expand its section, and click the file name. Save the file at the desired location on your computer.

You can download these artifacts:

Binary files from the Binaries section
Build artifacts of successful builds from the Builds section
Maven artifacts from the Maven Artifacts section
An archive of a tag of a Git repository in the Repositories section