ESLint Release Tool

3.3.0 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

ESLint Release Tool v3.3.0 is a CLI and API for automating releases in ESLint projects. It generates release versions, updates changelogs, publishes to npm, and creates GitHub releases with proper tags. Key differentiators: tightly coupled to ESLint's commit message conventions (conventional commits), supports both regular and prerelease workflows, and requires minimal configuration via environment variables. Release cadence is irregular focused on ESLint ecosystem needs. Alternative to generic tools like semantic-release but opinionated for ESLint processes.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'eslint-release' ↓

cause Package not installed or incorrect import path.

fix

Install: npm install eslint-release --save-dev

error TypeError: generateRelease is not a function ↓

cause Using require on default export when named export is intended.

fix

Use const { generateRelease } = require('eslint-release');

error Error: 'NPM_TOKEN' is not defined? ↓

cause Environment variable not set.

fix

Set NPM_TOKEN environment variable before running commands.

error fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git ↓

cause Commands must be run inside a git repository.

fix

Initialize git: git init; or cd to a git repository.

Warnings

breaking Breaking: minimum Node.js version raised to 10.0.0 in v3.0.0. ↓

fix Upgrade Node.js to >=10.0.0.

deprecated Package maintains minimal tests and API is rapidly changing. Not for general use. ↓

fix Consider using semantic-release for broader use cases; this tool is ESLint-specific.

gotcha Environment variables NPM_TOKEN and ESLINT_GITHUB_TOKEN must be set; otherwise commands fail silently or with generic error. ↓

fix Always export both tokens before running eslint-generate-release or eslint-publish-release.

gotcha The .eslint-release-info.json file is required for publishRelease() - if missing or corrupted, publish fails. ↓

fix Ensure generateRelease() completes successfully and .eslint-release-info.json exists before publishRelease().

gotcha CLI commands eslint-generate-release and eslint-publish-release assume git repository with proper commit history; otherwise version calculation fails. ↓

fix Ensure you're in a git repo with commits following conventional commit format.

Install

npm install eslint-release

yarn add eslint-release

pnpm add eslint-release

Imports

generateRelease
wrong
```
const { generateRelease } = require('eslint-release')
```
correct
```
import { generateRelease } from 'eslint-release'
```
Package is CJS only; named import works with both require and ESM syntax if using bundler. Use require in Node <14.

publishRelease

wrong

const publishRelease = require('eslint-release').publishRelease

correct

import { publishRelease } from 'eslint-release'

Same as above; avoid default import as it doesn't exist.

default
```
import eslintRelease from 'eslint-release'
```
Default export is the entire module object. Prefer named imports for clarity.

Quickstart

Demonstrates programmatic usage of eslint-release: generateRelease() and publishRelease() with required environment variables.

const { generateRelease, publishRelease } = require('eslint-release');

// Set environment variables
process.env.NPM_TOKEN = 'your-npm-token';
process.env.ESLINT_GITHUB_TOKEN = 'your-github-token';

// Generate a regular release (prereleaseId undefined, packageTag defaults to 'latest')
generateRelease()
  .then(() => console.log('Release generated successfully'))
  .catch(err => console.error('Generation failed:', err));

// Publish the generated release
publishRelease()
  .then(() => console.log('Release published successfully'))
  .catch(err => console.error('Publication failed:', err));