MQL5-Google-Onedrive/docs/RELEASE_PROCESS.md

Release Process Documentation

This document describes the release process for the MQL5 SMC + Trend Breakout Trading System.

Quick Release

For a standard release, use the automated release preparation script:

# Interactive menu
bash scripts/prepare_release.sh

# Or run full release preparation in one command
bash scripts/prepare_release.sh --full

The script will:

1. Check prerequisites
2. Validate repository structure
3. Run all tests
4. Package MT5 files
5. Create and push a release tag
6. Trigger the automated release workflow

Manual Release Process

If you prefer to do each step manually:

1. Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Git
• Python 3.x
• GitHub CLI (optional, for creating releases from CLI)

2. Update Version Information

Update the version in the following files:

• mt5/MQL5/Experts/SMC_TrendBreakout_MTF_EA.mq5 - Update #property version
• CHANGELOG.md - Add a new version section with changes

3. Validate Repository

# Run repository validation
python3 scripts/ci_validate_repo.py

# Validate shell scripts
bash -n scripts/package_mt5.sh
bash -n scripts/deploy_mt5.sh

# Run automation tests
python3 scripts/test_automation.py

4. Commit Changes

git add .
git commit -m "Prepare release v1.21.0"
git push origin main

5. Create Release Tag

# Create annotated tag
git tag -a v1.21.0 -m "Release v1.21.0"

# Push tag to trigger release workflow
git push origin v1.21.0

6. Monitor Release Workflow

The GitHub Actions workflow will automatically:

• Validate the repository
• Build the MT5 package
• Create Docker images
• Create a GitHub release with assets

Monitor the workflow at: https://github.com/A6-9V/MQL5-Google-Onedrive/actions

Release Workflow

The release process is automated via GitHub Actions (.github/workflows/release.yml):

Triggered By

• Pushing a tag matching v*.*.* (e.g., v1.21.0)
• Manual workflow dispatch with version input

Workflow Steps

1. Validate - Runs repository validation and shell script checks
2. Package - Creates Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip with all MT5 source files
3. Build Docker - Builds and pushes Docker images to GitHub Container Registry
4. Create Release - Creates GitHub release with:
   • Release notes extracted from CHANGELOG.md
   • MT5 package (.zip)
   • Package checksums (.sha256)
   • Docker image reference

Release Assets

Each release includes:

• Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip - Complete MT5 source package
  • Contains all .mq5 indicator files
  • Contains all .mq5 Expert Advisor files
  • Contains all .mqh include files
• Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip.sha256 - SHA256 checksum for verification
• Docker Images - Available at ghcr.io/a6-9v/mql5-google-onedrive:VERSION

Version Numbering

This project follows Semantic Versioning:

• MAJOR version (X.0.0) - Incompatible API changes
• MINOR version (0.X.0) - New functionality in a backwards compatible manner
• PATCH version (0.0.X) - Backwards compatible bug fixes

Version Format

• Git tags: v1.21.0 (with 'v' prefix)
• MQL5 property: "1.21" (without 'v', may use two digits)
• Docker images: 1.21.0 (without 'v')

Release Checklist

Before creating a release, ensure:

• All changes are committed and pushed
• Version updated in MQL5 EA file
• CHANGELOG.md updated with new version section
• All tests passing locally
• Documentation updated if needed
• No uncommitted or unstaged changes
• Working tree is clean

Testing a Release

Test MT5 Package

# Build package locally
bash scripts/package_mt5.sh

# Verify package contents
unzip -l dist/Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip

# Verify checksums
cd dist
sha256sum -c Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip.sha256

Test Docker Image

# Pull the release image
docker pull ghcr.io/a6-9v/mql5-google-onedrive:v1.21.0

# Run the container
docker run --rm ghcr.io/a6-9v/mql5-google-onedrive:v1.21.0 python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.version)"

Test Installation

1. Manual MT5 Installation:

   # Download from GitHub releases
   wget https://github.com/A6-9V/MQL5-Google-Onedrive/releases/download/v1.21.0/Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip
   
   # Extract to MT5 data folder
   unzip Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip -d "/path/to/MT5/Data/Folder/"
   
   # Compile in MetaEditor
   # Open MT5 -> F4 (MetaEditor) -> Compile all files
   

2. Automated Installation:

   # Use deployment script
   bash scripts/deploy_mt5.sh "/path/to/MT5/Data/Folder"
   

Hotfix Releases

For urgent bug fixes:

1. Create a hotfix branch from the release tag:

   git checkout -b hotfix/v1.21.1 v1.21.0
   

2. Make the fix and commit:

   git commit -m "Fix critical bug in position management"
   

3. Update version and changelog:

   • Update version to 1.21.1
   • Add hotfix section to CHANGELOG.md

4. Create hotfix tag:

   git tag -a v1.21.1 -m "Hotfix v1.21.1"
   git push origin v1.21.1
   

5. Merge back to main:

   git checkout main
   git merge hotfix/v1.21.1
   git push origin main
   

Pre-releases

To create a pre-release (beta, RC, etc.):

1. Use pre-release version format:

   git tag -a v1.22.0-beta.1 -m "Release v1.22.0-beta.1"
   git push origin v1.22.0-beta.1
   

2. Or use workflow dispatch with "pre-release" option checked

Pre-releases are marked accordingly on GitHub and are not shown as "Latest" release.

Rollback

To rollback to a previous release:

1. Find the previous release tag:

   git tag -l
   

2. Checkout the tag:

   git checkout v1.20.0
   

3. For production environments, download the specific release package:

   wget https://github.com/A6-9V/MQL5-Google-Onedrive/releases/download/v1.20.0/Exness_MT5_MQL5.zip
   

Release Announcement

After a successful release:

1. Update README.md if needed
2. Announce in relevant channels:
   • GitHub Discussions
   • Project documentation
   • WhatsApp community
3. Update any external documentation or websites

Troubleshooting

Tag Already Exists

If you need to recreate a tag:

# Delete local tag
git tag -d v1.21.0

# Delete remote tag
git push origin :refs/tags/v1.21.0

# Recreate and push
git tag -a v1.21.0 -m "Release v1.21.0"
git push origin v1.21.0

Workflow Failed

If the release workflow fails:

1. Check the Actions tab for error logs
2. Fix the issue locally
3. Delete the failed release (if created)
4. Delete and recreate the tag
5. Push the tag again

Package Build Failed

If packaging fails:

# Check for missing files
python3 scripts/ci_validate_repo.py

# Verify all MT5 files exist
ls -R mt5/MQL5/

# Try building manually
bash scripts/package_mt5.sh

Support

For issues with the release process:

• Open an issue: https://github.com/A6-9V/MQL5-Google-Onedrive/issues
• Check documentation: docs/INDEX.md
• Review workflow logs: GitHub Actions tab