Versioning.md

@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ git tag v1.0.2 # or any version you'd like
 # additionally you can also add a message, similar to commit messages (note both `-a` and `-m` are necessary
 
 git tag -a v1.0.2 -m "Patch release v1.0.2"
+
+# Push including tags
+git push --tags # alternatively, use git push --all)
 ```
 
 ### Python Package
@@ -73,5 +76,46 @@ except metadata.PackageNotFoundError:
     __version__ = "Unknown"
 ```
 
+### Using release branches
+Sometimes it is more convenient to use a branch (this enables you to have a stable reference for a version):
+An example can be found in the [LINC](https://git.astron.nl/RD/LINC) repository where it additionally updates some files with a fixed version of a container image in the release step.
+
+**IMPORTANT**: when making a tag/commit in CI, please add `[SKIP CI]` to prevent circular triggering of pipelines from pipelines.
+
+```yaml
+# .gitlab-ci.yml
+
+# Deploy a release version
+deploy_release:
+  stage: deploy
+  needs: ["versioning", "download_data"]
+  image: docker:20.10
+  services:
+    - docker:20.10-dind
+  before_script:
+    - echo $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD | docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin $CI_REGISTRY
+    - echo $DH_REGISTRY_PASSWORD | docker login -u $DH_REGISTRY_USER --password-stdin
+    - apk update && apk add git
+    - git config user.email $GITLAB_USER_EMAIL
+    - git config user.name $GITLAB_USER_NAME
+  script:
+    - echo -n "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH" | sed -e "s/^releases\//export RELEASE=/" > version && source version
+    - docker tag $INTEGRATION_IMAGE astronrd/linc:$RELEASE
+    - docker push astronrd/linc:$RELEASE
+    # Update docker image in cwl steps by tagged version
+    - sed -i "s/astronrd\/linc/astronrd\/linc:$RELEASE/g" steps/*.cwl
+    # Create and push Git tag
+    - git add steps/*.cwl
+
+    # Skip CI on this commit and tag
+    - git commit -m "[SKIP CI] Replace latest with tag $RELEASE"
+    - git tag -a $RELEASE -m "[SKIP CI] Version $RELEASE created by gitlab-ci build"
+    - git push --all
+  rules:
+    # Only run on release branches
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^releases//'
+      when: always
+```
+
 ## License
 The [Semantic Versioning specification](https://semver.org/) was originally authored by Tom Preston-Werner and is licensed under [Creative Commons -- CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
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