Changelog Generator

Generate structured changelogs from git commit history. Supports Conventional Commits parsing, semantic grouping, and multiple output formats.

Quick Start

Run the bundled script to generate a changelog:

python3 scripts/generate_changelog.py [--from TAG] [--to TAG] [--format FORMAT] [--output FILE]

Options:

• --from: Start ref (tag, commit, branch). Defaults to latest tag.
• --to: End ref. Defaults to HEAD.
• --format: Output format — keepachangelog (default), conventional, grouped.
• --output: Write to file instead of stdout. Use CHANGELOG.md for standard placement.
• --no-merges: Exclude merge commits.

Workflow

1. Determine the commit range (user-specified tags, or auto-detect latest tag to HEAD)
2. Run scripts/generate_changelog.py with appropriate flags
3. Review the generated output for accuracy
4. If writing to CHANGELOG.md, prepend new entries above existing content

Commit Parsing

The script parses Conventional Commits (type(scope): description) and groups them:

Non-conventional commits are grouped under “Other”.

Output Formats

For detailed format specifications and examples, see references/formats.md.

• keepachangelog: Follows Keep a Changelog spec. Best for libraries and open-source projects.
• conventional: Follows Conventional Changelog style. Best for projects using Conventional Commits.
• grouped: Simple date-grouped list. Best for internal projects or quick summaries.

Edge Cases

• No tags found: Use first commit as --from.
• Merge commits: Included by default. Pass --no-merges to exclude.
• Empty range: Script exits with message, no output file written.