New Ideas and Freak Accidents
Hello everyone! This week has been crazy. Bone-breakingly crazy. I'll get back to that. First, I have a new app to announce.
Release notes: loved when witty and honest; hated when it's your turn to write them.
Recently, as I wrapped up a quality-of-life update for one of my apps, I once again faced the dreaded empty "What's New" field. I was ready to submit the app update and move on, but first, this tedious busywork stood in my way. Every update always has more changes than I remember, and sifting through commits to recall them is painfully mechanical and dull. Inevitably, I start seeing commit messages like "make it work!" or "blargh," which means I need to dig even deeper. Turning raw commit messages and diffs into clear, engaging summaries takes too much mental energy.
Can't I just write 'bug fixes and minor improvements' and be done with it?
But despite the dread, good release notes truly matter. Personally, I love reading them because:
I'm curious to see what competitors or my favorite apps have improved.
I want confirmation that specific bugs or frustrations have been fixed.
I'm always on the lookout for hidden gems or amusing notes from fellow developers.
(Secretly, I'm also judging how creatively or transparently others handle this thankless task.)
There had to be an easier way, but every existing solution I found was either a hardcore command-line tool with poor usability or a heavyweight online service that needed layers of corporate approval. Frustrated, I realized I was uniquely positioned to solve this problem myself. After all, I'd already built an entire Git client and had everything at my fingertips: code for repository interactions, diff computations, and even AI for interpreting code changes.
After a few quick tests, it became obvious I was onto something real. And so, Release The Notes! was born.
Release The Notes! is a macOS app that transforms your commits, diffs, and branches into clear, natural-language summaries. Think instant, polished release notes without lifting a finger.
An early version is already in testing, and I'll soon invite more testers. If this sounds like something you'd love, visit releasethenotes.com and sign up now!
When It Rains, It Pours
This week, the universe decided to redefine "improbable" for our family. On Monday, both of my boys managed to break their wrists. Yes, both wrists, both boys, on the exact same day. And no, they weren't even together: one was snowboarding while the other was at football practice. Seriously, what are the odds? At this point, I'm torn between buying lottery tickets or investing in extra insurance.
Fortunately, they're both healing well, spirits intact, and thankfully pain-free.
Have a great day!
Steffen.