Create configuration to automatically generate release notes

[itsjustkevin]

Github provides an API for automatically generating release notes.

The structure of these release notes can be configured with a yml file.

This PR is experimental and a step toward creating better release notes.

This is a work in progress and subject to change as we understand how we want to organize the information provided.

[christopherfujino]

So if I'm reading https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/releasing-projects-on-github/automatically-generated-release-notes right, merging this will NOT generate any releases, but allow an option when manually creating a GitHub release to generate the notes?

[itsjustkevin]

@christopherfujino no releases will be generated. This will allow us to utilize the API to generate release notes based on the parameters specified in the config file.

When using the github UI in the release section, it will utilize the file i've created but only generate the release notes, not post them. When using the rest API, this config file can be specified as a parameter to generate notes.

[christopherfujino]

LGTM

[devoncarew]

This will exclude PRs that have the labels passed first triage / passed secondary triage?

[jmagman]

I don't think any PRs would have these labels, only issues.

[itsjustkevin]

@devoncarew @jmagman correct, this is still experimentation.

[devoncarew]

When using the rest API, this config file can be specified as a parameter to generate notes.

Ah, cool - I didn't see there was a REST API - I thought this file just controlled the text for when you create a release (having an API definitely makes this github provided functionality more useful).

We can always consider writing our own tool here, to gather PRs or commits since the last release, and emit a markdown file for our changelog.

[jmagman]

Did you figure out if these are these processed in order? What happens to PR with tool, platform-mac, passed first triage and passed secondary triage?

[itsjustkevin]

I am still working this issue, It isn't reading from the release configs the way I want yet. Will update.

[jmagman]

I don't think any PRs would have these labels, only issues.

[itsjustkevin]

When using the rest API, this config file can be specified as a parameter to generate notes.

Ah, cool - I didn't see there was a REST API - I thought this file just controlled the text for when you create a release (having an API definitely makes this github provided functionality more useful).

We can always consider writing our own tool here, to gather PRs or commits since the last release, and emit a markdown file for our changelog.

@devoncarew We might even be able to avoid doing that by using actions from the github market place like Release-drafter