Import bzr commit messages to changelog on new release.

[Stavros Korokithakis]

It would be nice if the changelog could import the commit messages from bzr automatically, since that's more or less what people do when they write the changelog for new release. Perhaps the user could specify two revisions and get all the commit messages in a format such as:

* Fixed bug <x>
* Implemented feature <y>
* Implemented feature <z>

[Jonathan Lange (jml)]

I like this idea. I'd be keen to know what Martin thinks, since he's used the release page a fair bit.

[Anne van Rossum (annevanrossum)]

Bug 232429 describes something similar for committing information about bug fixes in the form of bzr commit --fixes lp:12345

It might be useful to have

  bzr commit --changelog

which excepts a changelog written in the usual style.

[Martin Pool (mbp)]

Just to be clear, this is to say import them from the series branch in the project, into the release notes field in the Launchpad registry object describing the release. I basically like it and I have a few more thoughts:

- this kind of thing is in scope for <https://launchpad.net/thekraken> though it would be nice if it was built in
- perhaps it's simplest to link to or transclude the history of the branch, rather than copying it into the changelog field?
- one reason to copy it across is so that you can edit it; in that case you might be happy to copy and paste by hand
- actually the thing i might like best is to automatically take a file from the tree...

(Just realized jml asked 2+ years ago, but I'll answer anyhow.)

[Martin Pool (mbp)]

@Anne, do you mean you want commit to update a changelog file as/before it commits?

[Aaron Bentley (abentley)]

I think that copying the log into the changes field makes sense, as long as the user has a chance to edit them, because commit messages don't always make sense to the general user. With The Kraken, I also want the user to have control. It would be a three-step process:
1. Import the log to .the_kraken/changelog
2. (optional) Edit .the_kraken/changelog
3. Create the release normally (which will read and use .the_kraken/changelog)

Step 3 is already done.