Guide to Changelogs

Note: This guide thanks to friends from /vg/.

Changelogs are small YAML files that developers create to add their pull requests' changes to the master changelog.html file. A python script run by a maintainer collects all the changes specified and generates the HTML necessary, merging changes by the same author during the same day.

The idea is to reduce merge conflicts caused by two PRs trying to edit the same file.

Creating a Changelog

Pull Requests

PR changelogs are temporary and just get deleted after they're merged into the master changelog.

Create html/changelogs/USERNAME-PR-####.yml.
1. Go to /master/html/changelogs/ on your branch.
2. Create file USERNAME-PR-####.yml in the folder, where #### is the number or ID of your PR or the name of the branch.
  - Example: Deantwo-PR-7445.yml or Deantwo-PR-ChemMasterGetsGloomy.yml
  - File name is not super important but helps the maintainers know who made the file and which PR it is related too. Also prevents conflicts since two files won't have the same name.
Copy the contents of this.
Fill it out.
- Make sure to set delete-after to true.
- Also ensure you update the author name so you get credited appropriately.
PROOFREAD. Changelog entries are final after they're merged.
Add it to git so it's included with your PR.

File content example:

   author: Deantwo
   
   delete-after: True
   
   changes: 
     - rscadd: "Added grenades for everyone."
     - rscdel: "Removed everyone's brains."

Maintainer Changelogs

Maintainers can have their own changelogs. Follow the same directions as above, but use USERNAME.yml and leave delete-after false.

Updating the Changelog

Only maintainers need to do this.

First, install python 2.7, pip, and PyYaml:
- After installing python and ensuring it and its Scripts/ folder is in PATH, download and run get-pip.py with python.
- Once pip is installed run the following commands in your terminal
- pip install PyYaml
- pip install beautifulsoup4
With /tg/station's code, simply run makeChangelog.bat.
On Linux or other codebases, run python tools/ss13_genchangelog.py html/changelog.html html/changelogs

Screwed up Changelog

If a changelog needs to be edited after merge, a maintainer will need to edit the html/changelogs/.all_changelog.yml file in order to fix the database. (This file is hidden on Linux and Mac OSX.)

Contribution guides
Hosting	Hosting a server • Setting up the database • Working with /tg/station as an upstream repository
Contributing	Guide to contributing to the game • Setting up git • Downloading the source code • Reporting issues • Changelogs
Coding	Understanding SS13 code • SS13 for experienced programmers • Code docs • Coding standards • Getting Your Pull Accepted • Binary flags‎ • Text Formatting • MySQL
Mapping	Guide to mapping • Map merger • Guide to door access
Spriting	Guide to spriting • Resolving icon conflicts
Wiki	Guide to contributing to the wiki • Wikicode • Autowiki