Release Process¶

Releases define how changes become official, discoverable, and reproducible across the Electric Barometer ecosystem. A clear release process ensures that code, documentation, and research artifacts remain aligned while preserving traceability and governance.

This guide describes the release philosophy and high-level process used across Electric Barometer repositories.

Why releases matter¶

In a multi-repository ecosystem, releases are more than version numbers. They serve as:

Stable reference points for evaluation and decisioning
Anchors for documentation and research artifacts
Mechanisms for reproducibility and auditability
Signals of maturity and intent

Without a disciplined release process, changes become difficult to track, explain, or reproduce.

Release principles¶

Electric Barometer releases follow a small set of guiding principles:

Explicit versioning — changes are introduced intentionally and visibly
Reproducibility — released artifacts can be rebuilt or referenced consistently
Traceability — decisions can be linked to the versions in use at the time
Minimal coupling — repositories are versioned independently
Documentation alignment — releases correspond to documented behavior

These principles apply across code, documentation, and papers.

What constitutes a release¶

A release represents a coherent set of changes that are intended for use.

Depending on the repository, a release may include:

Code changes and new functionality
Updated documentation or guides
Schema or contract updates
Bug fixes or performance improvements
Formal research artifacts (e.g., compiled papers)

Not all commits warrant a release. Releases mark meaningful checkpoints.

Versioning strategy¶

Electric Barometer repositories use semantic-style versioning to communicate change intent.

At a high level:

Major versions introduce breaking changes or conceptual shifts
Minor versions add functionality in a backward-compatible way
Patch versions fix bugs or clarify behavior without altering interfaces

Version numbers are part of the governance signal and should be chosen deliberately.

Releasing code repositories¶

For code repositories, the release process typically involves:

Ensuring the main branch reflects the intended release state
Running tests and validation checks
Updating documentation where necessary
Creating a version tag
Publishing the release through the hosting platform

The release tag serves as the canonical reference point for consumers and downstream systems.

Releasing documentation¶

Documentation changes may be released independently of code, but should remain consistent with released behavior.

Best practices include:

Updating documentation before or alongside a code release
Avoiding references to unreleased features
Using versioned links where appropriate
Treating documentation as a first-class artifact

Documentation releases reinforce trust in the ecosystem.

Releasing research artifacts¶

Technical notes and papers follow a similar philosophy but differ in format.

Releases for research artifacts typically include:

Compiled documents (e.g., PDFs)
Versioned release tags
Immutable artifacts attached to the release

This approach ensures that formal definitions and analyses remain stable and citable.

Coordinating releases across repositories¶

Electric Barometer repositories are intentionally decoupled. Not all releases need to be synchronized.

Coordination is recommended when:

Changes affect shared contracts or schemas
A new concept or metric spans multiple repositories
Documentation relies on behavior introduced in multiple places

In these cases, releases should reference one another explicitly to preserve clarity.

Governance and change control¶

Releases are a governance mechanism.

Good governance practices include:

Documenting the intent and scope of each release
Avoiding silent or undocumented changes
Preserving access to historical versions
Clearly communicating breaking changes

A release should make it easier—not harder—to explain what changed and why.

How releases fit into the Electric Barometer lifecycle¶

Within the Electric Barometer framework:

Releases define the versions used in evaluation and decision workflows
Documentation references released behavior
Research artifacts formalize released concepts
Governance relies on versioned artifacts for traceability

Releases provide the temporal structure that allows the ecosystem to evolve without losing coherence.

Where to go next¶

See Packages for repository-specific release details
Review Governance to understand how releases support auditability
Consult Papers for formally released definitions and analyses

A disciplined release process is essential to maintaining trust, reproducibility, and clarity across the Electric Barometer ecosystem.