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Release Notes v0.2.0

Release Date: January 3, 2026

Overview

This release adds GitHub version reference links to rendered Markdown, completing Keep a Changelog format compliance. The generated CHANGELOG.md now includes clickable version links at the bottom that point to GitHub release tags and comparison pages.

Installation

CLI Tool

go install github.com/grokify/structured-changelog/cmd/schangelog@v0.2.0

Library

go get github.com/grokify/structured-changelog@v0.2.0

New Features

The rendered Markdown now includes reference-style links at the bottom, following the Keep a Changelog canonical format:

Before (v0.1.0):

## [1.2.0] - 2026-01-03

### Added
- New feature

After (v0.2.0):

## [1.2.0] - 2026-01-03

### Added
- New feature

[1.2.0]: https://github.com/owner/repo/compare/v1.1.0...v1.2.0
[1.1.0]: https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/tag/v1.1.0
Release Type URL Format
First release /releases/tag/vX.Y.Z
Subsequent releases /compare/vPrev...vCurrent
Unreleased /compare/vLatest...HEAD

Auto-Detection

Links are automatically generated when:

  1. The repository field is set in CHANGELOG.json
  2. The repository URL matches github.com
{
  "ir_version": "1.0",
  "project": "my-project",
  "repository": "https://github.com/owner/repo",
  "releases": [...]
}

No additional CLI flags are required - GitHub detection is automatic.

Structured Changelog Attribution

The rendered Markdown header now includes attribution:

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html),
and this changelog is generated by [Structured Changelog](https://github.com/grokify/structured-changelog).

Infrastructure

Dependabot Configuration

Added .github/dependabot.yaml for automated dependency updates:

  • Go modules: Daily checks for dependency updates
  • GitHub Actions: Daily checks for action version updates

Rendering Options

The IncludeCompareLinks option (enabled by default) controls whether reference links are generated:

Option Default Minimal Full
IncludeCompareLinks ✓ ✗ ✓ 
// Disable compare links
opts := renderer.DefaultOptions()
opts.IncludeCompareLinks = false
md := renderer.RenderMarkdownWithOptions(cl, opts)

Or via CLI:

# Include links (default)
schangelog generate CHANGELOG.json

# Exclude links
schangelog generate CHANGELOG.json --minimal

Migration from v0.1.0

This release is fully backward compatible. To take advantage of the new features:

  1. Add a repository field to your CHANGELOG.json:
{
  "ir_version": "1.0",
  "project": "my-project",
  "repository": "https://github.com/owner/repo",
  ...
}
  1. Regenerate your CHANGELOG.md:
schangelog generate CHANGELOG.json -o CHANGELOG.md

The version reference links will be automatically appended.

Known Limitations Resolved

From v0.1.0 known limitations:

Limitation Status
Compare links not yet generated ✅ Resolved in v0.2.0

What's Next

Planned for future releases:

  • schangelog init - Create empty CHANGELOG.json
  • schangelog add --type=fixed "Description" - Add entry to unreleased
  • schangelog release 1.2.0 - Promote unreleased to new version
  • GitLab/Bitbucket link support
  • MkDocs/Hugo theme support