Release process

The release process for this extension is set out below.

We will follow semantic versioning and use a version number with the format MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.

1. MAJOR versions may contain breaking changes
2. MINOR versions add functionality in a backward compatible manor
3. PATCH versions include backward compatible bug fixes

Development of new features

We will create a new release when it is ready. There isn't a set schedule for releases - this is dependent on capacity and funding. We anticipate that each new release will take between 3 and 9 months from planning to release. The focus is on delivering functionality that is most useful to users while providing stability and consistency. Priorities will be affected by the funding available to develop the new features.

The development process is set out below.

Stage	Details
Planning	Review the issues board for feature requests. Work with CiviShares users to prioritise which features to include in the next release.
Development	Create the new features.
Testing	Run internal tests. Update the demo site to allow testing by CiviShares users. Users are encouraged to test alpha and beta releases on their own sites. We will fix issues as they are reported.
Release	Make a new stable version of the extension available for download.
Deployment	CiviShares users update the extension on their site and run their own tests. Any bugs found should be reported as below.
Review	Reflect on the release process and make changes to improve it going forward.

New features will be added to the development branch for inclusion in a future release. They won't be backported to previous releases.

Release notes are available in GitLab: Releases

Dealing with bugs

Please report any bugs using the issue queue for the CiviShares extension in GitLab.

Bugs will be triaged for severity. Bug fixes will be added to the development branch and backported to the current stable release. The fixes will be released as a patch version for the current stable release.