📝 Release Notes in Developer Studio (ATA)

The Release Notes feature in AllThingsAPI (ATA) allows you to manage and document the changes made to your API application over different versions. This section helps you define, generate, and track updates to your application, providing clarity on what has changed between releases and ensuring that your team and stakeholders are informed.

Release Notes are essential for versioning your API, especially when you are managing multiple releases. ATA provides three options for generating release notes: Delta Release Notes, Full Release Notes, and Manually Adding Release Notes.

🔧 How to Use the Release Notes Feature

Step 1: Navigate to the Release Notes Section

After you have created your application and defined its basic settings in Developer Studio, go to the Package Info tab in the My Application section.
Under Package Info, you will find the Release Notes section.

Step 2: Choose a Release Note Type

ATA provides three options for generating release notes. Depending on your needs, you can select one of the following:

1️⃣ Delta Release Notes

Delta Release Notes only include changes made since the last release. This option is particularly useful for incremental updates or when you want to document the changes made since the previous version, such as bug fixes or small feature additions.

Steps to Generate Delta Release Notes:

Select Delta from the release note options.
Choose the version and package for comparison from the dropdown.
Click Generate Release Notes to create a detailed list of changes made since the last release.

Example:

“Fixed bug where user login failed on mobile devices.”
“Updated user_id parameter validation to accept string values.”

2️⃣ Full Release Notes

Full Release Notes provide a comprehensive list of all the changes made in the current version of the API. This option generates a complete summary of everything that was added, modified, or fixed in the release.

Steps to Generate Full Release Notes:

Select Full Release Notes from the release note options.
Click Generate Release Notes to generate the complete list of changes.

Example:

“Version 2.0.0 - Major upgrade including new user authentication API and user profile management. Bug fixes include login issues and performance optimizations.”

3️⃣ Manually Add Release Notes

If you need to write custom release notes or provide more specific details that may not fit into the standard Delta or Full formats, you can opt for Manually Adding Release Notes. This allows you to write your own text and document the changes in your own format.

Steps for Manually Adding Release Notes:

Select Manually Add Release Notes from the release note options.
The editor will open, allowing you to write your custom release notes.
Once written, click Save to finalize your release notes.

Example:

“Fixed issue with authentication token expiration causing intermittent login failures on iOS 14. Added additional logging for better debugging.”

📋 Viewing and Managing Release Notes

After generating or adding release notes, you can always view and manage them:

View Release Notes: After generating the release notes (either Delta, Full, or Manual), you can view them directly in the Package Info tab under the Release Notes section.
Edit Release Notes: If necessary, you can edit or update the release notes by selecting Manually Add Release Notes again to modify the content.
Track Versions: The release notes are versioned, so you can always track what changes were made in each version of your application.

📤 Exporting Release Notes

ATA also allows you to export your release notes for sharing with your team or stakeholders.

Export: Once the release notes are generated, you can export them in a standard format (e.g., PDF, text file) for documentation purposes.
Sharing: You can share the release notes as part of your API documentation or project management tools to keep everyone informed.

🚀 Final Notes on Release Notes

The Release Notes feature in ATA’s Developer Studio is a crucial tool for tracking changes in your API applications. Whether you are making small changes, releasing major features, or documenting bug fixes, ATA’s Delta Release Notes, Full Release Notes, and Manually Added Release Notes options provide flexibility to meet your needs.

By using this feature, you ensure that all updates to your application are well-documented, making it easier for your team and stakeholders to stay informed and up-to-date with every release.

Happy versioning! 🚀