karnull · Oct 25, 2026 · Oct 25, 2026 · Oct 25, 2026 · Oct 25, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@
 * feature/root-answers-file: generated projects keep their Copier answers in `.copier-py-answers.yml` at the root rather than in `.copier-generic-project/`; existing projects move the file once before their next update.
 * fix/devcontainer-timezone: the dev container, and CI with it, starts on hosts that have no /etc/timezone.
 * fix/bash-history-mount: shell history in the dev container persists between sessions.
+* feature/version-file: generated projects take their package version from VERSION; existing projects run `uv lock` once after updating.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ Projects generated before the answers file moved keep it in `.copier-generic-pro
 $ git mv .copier-generic-project/.copier-py-answers.yml .copier-py-answers.yml
 ```
 
+Projects generated before v2.2.0 hold a fixed version in `uv.lock`. After the update that takes `pyproject.toml` to the version in `VERSION`, refresh the lock once and commit it, or `make build` fails on the out-of-date lock:
+
+```bash
+$ uv lock
+```
+
 
 ### Versioning and CI
 
@@ -73,7 +79,7 @@ Every generated project has a `Makefile` at its root:
 * `make build` installs the locked dependencies and byte-compiles the package.
 * `make format` formats the Python sources with ruff; `make format-dry-run` lists unformatted files and fails if there are any.
 * `make test` runs the tests with pytest.
-* `make release` builds a wheel and an sdist into `dist/`.
+* `make release` builds a wheel and an sdist into `dist/`, versioned from the project's `VERSION` file.
 
 
 ### GitHub CI

diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v2.1.2
+v2.2.0
diff --git a/template/README.md.jinja b/template/README.md.jinja
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ $ make format-dry-run   # list files that need formatting
 
 `make release` builds a wheel and an sdist into `dist/`. They install on any platform with Python 3.13.
 
+The package version is read from `VERSION`, the same version CI releases, so bump only that file.
+
 
 
 ## Copier Update

diff --git a/template/pyproject.toml.jinja b/template/pyproject.toml.jinja
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=80"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
 [project]
 name = "{{ project_slug }}"
-version = "0.1.0"
+dynamic = ["version"]
 description = "{{ project_description }}"
 authors = [
     { name = "{{ user_name }}"{% if user_email %}, email = "{{ user_email }}"{% endif %} },
@@ -23,8 +27,17 @@ dependencies = [
 [project.scripts]
 main = "{{ module_slug }}.main:main"
 
+# setuptools reads VERSION, the version CI releases, and drops the leading v
+[tool.setuptools.dynamic]
+version = { file = "VERSION" }
+
+[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
+include = ["{{ module_slug }}*"]
+
 [tool.uv]
 package = true
+# rebuild the installed project when VERSION changes, so its metadata stays current
+cache-keys = [{ file = "pyproject.toml" }, { file = "VERSION" }]
 
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ $ make format-dry-run # list files that need formatting

		`make release` builds a wheel and an sdist into `dist/`. They install on any platform with Python 3.13.

		The package version is read from `VERSION`, the same version CI releases, so bump only that file.



		## Copier Update
Expand Down