Add RELEASE.md

Author: bufdev

RELEASE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Releasing
+
+This document outlines how to create a release of pluginrpc-go.
+
+1. Clone the repo, ensuring you have the latest main.
+
+2. On a new branch, open [pluginrpc.go](pluginrpc.go) and change the `Version` constant to an
+   appropriate [semantic version](https://semver.org/). To select the correct version, look at the
+   version number of the [latest release] and the changes that are included in this new release.
+
+- If there are only bug fixes and no new features, remove the `-dev` suffix, set MINOR number to be
+  equal to the [latest release], and set the PATCH number to be 1 more than the PATCH number of the
+  [latest release].
+- If there are features being released, remove the `-dev` suffix, set the MINOR number to be 1 more
+  than the MINOR number of the [latest release], and set the PATCH number to `0`. In the common
+  case, the diff here will just be to remove the `-dev` suffix.
+
+```patch
+-const Version = "1.14.0-dev"
++const Version = "1.14.0"
+```
+
+3. Check for any changes in
+   [cmd/protoc-gen-pluginrpc-go/main.go](cmd/protoc-gen-pluginrpc-go/main.go) that require a version
+   restriction. A constant `IsAtLeastVersionX_Y_Z` should be defined in [pluginrpc.go](pluginrpc.go)
+   if generated code has begun to use a new API. Make sure the generated code references this
+   constant. If a new constant has been added since the last release, ensure that the name of the
+   constant matches the version being released.
+
+4. Open a PR titled "Prepare for vX.Y.Z" and a description tagging all current maintainers. Once
+   it's reviewed and CI passes, merge it.
+
+   _Make sure no new commits are merged until the release is complete._
+
+5. Review all commits in the new release and for each PR check an appropriate label is used and edit
+   the title to be meaninful to end users. This will help auto-generated release notes match the
+   final notes as closely as possible.
+
+6. Using the Github UI, create a new release.
+
+   - Under “Choose a tag”, type in “vX.Y.Z” to create a new tag for the release upon publish.
+   - Target the main branch.
+   - Title the Release “vX.Y.Z”.
+   - Click “set as latest release”.
+   - Set the last version as the “Previous tag”.
+   - Click “Generate release notes” to autogenerate release notes.
+   - Edit the release notes.
+
+7. Publish the release.
+
+8. On a new branch, open [pluginrpc.go](pluginrpc.go) and change the `Version` to increment the minor
+   tag and append the `-dev` suffix. Use the next minor release - we never anticipate bugs and patch
+   releases.
+
+   ```patch
+   -const Version = "1.14.0"
+   +const Version = "1.15.0-dev"
+   ```
+
+9. Open a PR titled "Back to development" Once it's reviewed and CI passes, merge it.
+
+[latest release]: https://github.com/pluginrpc/pluginrpc-go/releases/latest