refactor: ♻️ expand on explanation of release process

Author: lwjohnst86

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,166 +1,184 @@
 # Changelog
 
 Since we follow [Conventional
-Commits](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-conventional-commits),
-we're able to automatically create a release with
+Commits](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-conventional-commits)
+when writing commit messages, we're able to automatically create formal
+"releases" of the template based on the commit messages. Releases in the
+context of template are when changes occur to the `template/` files or
+to the `copier.yaml` files. The releases are also published to Zenodo
+for easier discovery, archival, and citation purposes. We use
 [Commitizen](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-semantic-release-with-commitizen)
-based on the commit messages. This means that releases can happen quite
-often, sometimes several in a day. It also means any individual release
-will not have many changes within it. Below is a list of releases along
-with what was changed within it.
+to be able to automatically create these releases, which uses
+[SemVar](https://semverdoc.org) as the version numbering scheme.
+
+Because releases are created based on commit messages, we release quite
+often, sometimes several times in a day. This also means that any
+individual release will not have many changes within it. Below is a list
+of the releases we've made so far, along with what was changed within
+each release.
 
 ## 0.17.10 (2025-09-18)
 
 ### Fix
 
-- :bug: overwrite `_contributor.qmd` with `>` (#207)
+-   :bug: overwrite `_contributor.qmd` with `>` (#207)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :arrow_up: upgrade pre-commit hook versions (#208)
+-   :arrow_up: upgrade pre-commit hook versions (#208)
 
 ## 0.17.9 (2025-09-10)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :pencil2: use `update`, not `add` for Quarto extension (#195)
+-   :pencil2: use `update`, not `add` for Quarto extension (#195)
 
 ## 0.17.8 (2025-09-08)
 
 ### Fix
 
-- :hammer: ignore other dirs and files when listing todos (#200)
-- :bug: `github_repo` (via `_folder_name`) doesn't work using `update` (#197)
+-   :hammer: ignore other dirs and files when listing todos (#200)
+-   :bug: `github_repo` (via `_folder_name`) doesn't work using `update`
+    (#197)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :pushpin: update pre-commit hook versions (#199)
-- :memo: simplify CHANGELOG description (#193)
-- :hammer: contributor script outputs text, output to file with justfile (#192)
-- :fire: `update-from-workflow` is too complicated and not needed (#190)
+-   :pushpin: update pre-commit hook versions (#199)
+-   :memo: simplify CHANGELOG description (#193)
+-   :hammer: contributor script outputs text, output to file with
+    justfile (#192)
+-   :fire: `update-from-workflow` is too complicated and not needed
+    (#190)
 
 ## 0.17.7 (2025-09-05)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :memo: simplify PR template (#196)
+-   :memo: simplify PR template (#196)
 
 ## 0.17.6 (2025-09-05)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :truck: rename to `check-python`, not `build` (#189)
+-   :truck: rename to `check-python`, not `build` (#189)
 
 ## 0.17.5 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :wrench: can render everything in Quarto project (#183)
+-   :wrench: can render everything in Quarto project (#183)
 
 ## 0.17.4 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :wrench: add more items to sidebar, like overview (#182)
+-   :wrench: add more items to sidebar, like overview (#182)
 
 ## 0.17.3 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :recycle: create homepage as variable, not question (#179)
+-   :recycle: create homepage as variable, not question (#179)
 
 ## 0.17.2 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :hammer: ignore `justfile` when listing TODO items (#181)
+-   :hammer: ignore `justfile` when listing TODO items (#181)
 
 ## 0.17.1 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :recycle: need `date-released` in `CITATION.cff` (#180)
+-   :recycle: need `date-released` in `CITATION.cff` (#180)
 
 ## 0.17.0 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Feat
 
-- :sparkles: add CHANGELOG with some description of it (#178)
+-   :sparkles: add CHANGELOG with some description of it (#178)
 
 ## 0.16.6 (2025-09-02)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :recycle: delete whole references folder pre and post render (#142)
+-   :recycle: delete whole references folder pre and post render (#142)
 
 ## 0.16.5 (2025-09-01)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :truck: move GoatCounter file into `docs/includes/` (#177)
+-   :truck: move GoatCounter file into `docs/includes/` (#177)
 
 ## 0.16.4 (2025-09-01)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :pushpin: update pre-commit versions (#171)
+-   :pushpin: update pre-commit versions (#171)
 
 ## 0.16.3 (2025-09-01)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :hammer: use `--upgrade` when installing Python dependencies (#174)
+-   :hammer: use `--upgrade` when installing Python dependencies (#174)
 
 ## 0.16.2 (2025-09-01)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :wrench: add `theme` option in `_quarto.yml`, and `brand` for Seedcase (#170)
+-   :wrench: add `theme` option in `_quarto.yml`, and `brand` for
+    Seedcase (#170)
 
 ## 0.16.1 (2025-09-01)
 
 ### Refactor
 
-- :technologist: simplify the pull request template (#165)
+-   :technologist: simplify the pull request template (#165)
 
 ## 0.16.0 (2025-08-26)
 
 ### Feat
 
-- :sparkles: add `update-from-template` workflow (#134)
-- :sparkles: add hosting provider variable (#153)
-- :memo: add Conduct, Contributing, and filled out README (#131)
-- :sparkles: add 404 page to template (#141)
-- :sparkles: add files with copier variables (#127)
-- :sparkles: copy over static files to template folder (#117)
-- :hammer: gitleaks pre-commit to check for credentials (#100)
-- :sparkles: add mypy to VS Code settings and extensions (#93)
-- :sparkles: add examples section to docstring template (#39)
-- 🧑‍💻 add recipe `add-function` (#2)
+-   :sparkles: add `update-from-template` workflow (#134)
+-   :sparkles: add hosting provider variable (#153)
+-   :memo: add Conduct, Contributing, and filled out README (#131)
+-   :sparkles: add 404 page to template (#141)
+-   :sparkles: add files with copier variables (#127)
+-   :sparkles: copy over static files to template folder (#117)
+-   :hammer: gitleaks pre-commit to check for credentials (#100)
+-   :sparkles: add mypy to VS Code settings and extensions (#93)
+-   :sparkles: add examples section to docstring template (#39)
+-   🧑‍💻 add recipe `add-function` (#2)
 
 ### Fix
 
-- :bug: need to run build workflow after version bump to get changelog (#110)
-- :construction_worker: explicitly checkout newest version to publish (#107)
-- :construction_worker: forgot to checkout before building and publishing (#106)
-- :construction_worker: only run when previous and current versions are different (#98)
-- :construction_worker: use the `has_released` output to run or not (#97)
-- :bug: install uv in publish step and only for tags (#96)
-- :hammer: the `check-commits` recipe wasn't correctly checking them (#48)
-- :hammer: the `check-commits` recipe wasn't correctly checking them
-- :bug: remove auto-built reference docs before/after building (#47)
-- :bug: remove auto-built reference docs before/after building
-- :fire: remove django debugger (#44)
-- add `test-python` to `run-all` (#38)
-- :hammer: update test snippet to given, when, then (#29)
-
-### Refactor
-
-- :recycle: specify svg for all badges (#157)
-- :recycle: move copier test to own file (#156)
-- :recycle: update post-copy message (#154)
-- :recycle: match copier vars in `template-website` (#152)
-- :recycle: use `bash` for `check-commits` justfile recipe (#150)
-- :wrench: include `github-actions` in dependabot config (#136)
-- :construction_worker: move `uv build` step into publish job (#101)
-- :recycle: make mypy more strict in settings (#94)
+-   :bug: need to run build workflow after version bump to get changelog
+    (#110)
+-   :construction_worker: explicitly checkout newest version to publish
+    (#107)
+-   :construction_worker: forgot to checkout before building and
+    publishing (#106)
+-   :construction_worker: only run when previous and current versions
+    are different (#98)
+-   :construction_worker: use the `has_released` output to run or not
+    (#97)
+-   :bug: install uv in publish step and only for tags (#96)
+-   :hammer: the `check-commits` recipe wasn't correctly checking them
+    (#48)
+-   :hammer: the `check-commits` recipe wasn't correctly checking them
+-   :bug: remove auto-built reference docs before/after building (#47)
+-   :bug: remove auto-built reference docs before/after building
+-   :fire: remove django debugger (#44)
+-   add `test-python` to `run-all` (#38)
+-   :hammer: update test snippet to given, when, then (#29)
+
+### Refactor
+
+-   :recycle: specify svg for all badges (#157)
+-   :recycle: move copier test to own file (#156)
+-   :recycle: update post-copy message (#154)
+-   :recycle: match copier vars in `template-website` (#152)
+-   :recycle: use `bash` for `check-commits` justfile recipe (#150)
+-   :wrench: include `github-actions` in dependabot config (#136)
+-   :construction_worker: move `uv build` step into publish job (#101)
+-   :recycle: make mypy more strict in settings (#94)

template/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 # Changelog
 
 Since we follow [Conventional
-Commits](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-conventional-commits),
-we're able to automatically create a release with
+Commits](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-conventional-commits)
+when writing commit messages, we're able to automatically create formal
+"releases" of the Python package based on the commit messages. The
+releases are also published to Zenodo for easier discovery, archival,
+and citation purposes. We use
 [Commitizen](https://decisions.seedcase-project.org/why-semantic-release-with-commitizen)
-based on the commit messages. This means that releases can happen quite
-often, sometimes several in a day. It also means any individual release
-will not have many changes within it. Below is a list of releases along
-with what was changed within it.
+to be able to automatically create these releases, which uses
+[SemVar](https://semverdoc.org) as the version numbering scheme.
+
+Because releases are created based on commit messages, we release quite
+often, sometimes several times in a day. This also means that any
+individual release will not have many changes within it. Below is a list
+of the releases we've made so far, along with what was changed within
+each release.