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TS — TFW-6 / Phase A: Core Versioning Infrastructure

Date: 2026-03-12 Author: Coordinator (AI) Status: 🟡 TS — Awaiting approval Parent HL: HL-TFW-6

1. Goal

Establish the version tracking foundation: a VERSION file, a retroactive CHANGELOG.md, version field in PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml, a RELEASE.md template, this project's populated RELEASE.md, and init.md updates. After this phase, TFW has a clear version identity and every new project knows to track its TFW version.

2. Scope

In Scope

  • Create .tfw/VERSION with initial version 0.3.0
  • Create .tfw/CHANGELOG.md with retroactive history (v1, v2, v3) and current release entry
  • Add tfw_version field to .tfw/PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml
  • Create .tfw/templates/RELEASE.md — guiding scaffold for release strategy
  • Create RELEASE.md (root) — fully populated instance for this project (trace-first-starter)
  • Update .tfw/init.md — add version tracking section + mention RELEASE.md

Out of Scope

  • Workflows (tfw-release, tfw-update) → Phase B
  • Documentation updates (KNOWLEDGE.md, README files) → Phase C
  • Adapter workflow copies → Phase B

3. Files

File Action Description
.tfw/VERSION CREATE Single-line semver: 0.3.0
.tfw/CHANGELOG.md CREATE Retroactive changelog: v1 (2024), v2 (2025), v3 (2026), + 0.3.1 release entry
.tfw/PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml MODIFY Add tfw_version: "0.3.0" under tfw: section
.tfw/templates/RELEASE.md CREATE Scaffold with guiding questions for project release strategy
RELEASE.md CREATE This project's release context: audience, triggers, scheme, checklist
.tfw/init.md MODIFY Add §Version Tracking + mention RELEASE.md in Step 4 and Verification

Budget: 4 new files, 2 modifications. ≤7 files ✅, ≤4 new ✅, ≤600 LOC ✅.

4. Detailed Steps

Step 1: Create .tfw/VERSION

Single line, no newline at end: 

0.3.0

Rationale for 0.3.0: matches the "v3" designation used in .tfw/README.md. Major=0 because TFW hasn't had a formal "1.0" release.

Step 2: Create .tfw/CHANGELOG.md

Structure: 

# TFW Changelog

All notable changes to the Trace-First Workflow framework.
Format: [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/). Versioning: [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).

## [Unreleased]

## [0.3.1] — 2026-03-12
### Added
- `VERSION` file — machine-readable framework version
- `CHANGELOG.md` — version history (this file)
- `RELEASE.md` template — optional release context artifact
- `tfw-release` workflow — canonical release process
- `tfw-update` workflow — structured upgrade process for downstream projects
### Changed
- `PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml` — added `tfw_version` field
- `init.md` — added version tracking and RELEASE.md guidance

## [0.3.0] — 2026-03-02
### Added
- `KNOWLEDGE.md` template and tfw-docs workflow ([TFW-5](../TFW-5__knowledge_and_tfw_docs/HL-TFW-5__knowledge_and_tfw_docs.md))
### Changed
- Framework cleanup: removed STEPS.md, TASK.md, Summary Discipline ([TFW-4](../TFW-4__framework_cleanup/HL-TFW-4__framework_cleanup.md))
- Root README restructured for public readership ([TFW-3](../TFW-3__readme_public_readiness/HL-TFW-3__readme_public_readiness.md))

## [0.2.0] — 2026-02-25
### Added
- `.tfw/` directory — tool-agnostic core (conventions, templates, workflows, adapters)
- ONB and REVIEW artifact types
- 7-status lifecycle with quality gates
- 3 canonical workflows (plan, handoff, resume)
- Scope budgets per phase
- TECH_DEBT.md pipeline
- Tool adapter pattern (Claude Code, Cursor, Antigravity)
- PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml
- Anti-patterns list
### Removed
- `AI_ENTRY_POINT.md`, `SUCCESS_CRITERIA.md`, `00_meta/` directory

## [0.1.0] — 2024
### Added
- Core concept: traces are more valuable than code
- 4-file structure (AGENTS, README, TASK, STEPS)
- Summary Discipline
- Chat→project conversion pattern
- CL/AG execution modes (informal)

Cross-reference: .tfw/README.md §Evolution for accuracy.

Step 3: Add tfw_version to PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml

Add under the tfw: section: 

tfw:
  version: "0.3.0"         # Installed TFW version (update via tfw-update)
  task_prefix: PROJ
  ...

Field name: version (not tfw_version — it's already under the tfw: namespace).

Step 4: Create .tfw/templates/RELEASE.md

Scaffold with guiding questions: 

# RELEASE.md — {Project Name}

> Release strategy and context for this project.
> Optional artifact — create only if your project has releases, publications, or versioned outputs.

---

## 1. What Is a Release?

> What does "release" mean for this project? Examples:
> - A version bump of a framework or library
> - A deployed application build
> - A published report or document
> - A data pipeline promotion to production

{Describe what constitutes a release for your project}

## 2. Audience

> Who consumes your releases?
> - Downstream projects / developers
> - End users / clients
> - Internal teams
> - The public (open source)

{Describe your audience}

## 3. Version Scheme

> How do you track versions?
> - Semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
> - Calendar versioning (YYYY.MM)
> - Sequential (v1, v2, v3)
> - None (single living document)

{Describe your versioning approach, or "N/A" if not applicable}

## 4. Release Triggers

> When should a release happen?
> - After N tasks complete
> - On a fixed schedule
> - When a milestone is reached
> - Ad-hoc, when the maintainer decides

{Describe what triggers a release}

## 5. Pre-Release Checklist

> What must be true before cutting a release?
> Customize this list for your project.

- [ ] All in-scope tasks are ✅ DONE
- [ ] Task Board is current
- [ ] TECH_DEBT.md reviewed — no critical items blocking release
- [ ] KNOWLEDGE.md updated (if applicable)
- [ ] {Add project-specific checks}

## 6. Release Steps

> Project-specific release actions (beyond what `tfw-release` workflow covers).
> Examples: deploy, publish, notify, tag, build artifacts.

{Describe your release steps, or leave for later}

---

> Maintained by the project owner. Referenced by [`.tfw/workflows/release.md`](../../reference/workflows/release.md).

Step 5: Create RELEASE.md (root) for this project

Fully populated: 

# RELEASE.md — Trace-First Starter

> Release strategy for the TFW framework canonical starter repository.

---

## 1. What Is a Release?

A release is a versioned snapshot of the `.tfw/` directory (conventions, templates, workflows, adapters, config) that downstream projects can reference and update to.

Each release bundles accumulated changes from one or more TFW tasks into a coherent version that consumers can safely adopt.

## 2. Audience

- **Downstream TFW projects** — any project that copied `.tfw/` from this starter
- **Framework contributors** — people proposing changes to TFW itself
- **New users** — people discovering TFW and judging its maturity

## 3. Version Scheme

Semantic versioning: `MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`

| Bump | When | Examples |
|------|------|----------|
| MAJOR | Breaking changes to conventions, templates, or workflow structure | Template field renamed, status flow changed, required file removed |
| MINOR | New workflows, templates, optional features (backward-compatible) | New workflow added, new template, new optional artifact |
| PATCH | Fixes, clarifications, typos | Typo in template, wording fix in conventions |

Version is tracked in `.tfw/VERSION` (machine-readable) and [`.tfw/CHANGELOG.md`](../../reference/changelog.md) (human-readable).

## 4. Release Triggers

Ad-hoc, when the maintainer decides accumulated changes justify a new version. Guidelines:

- **Always release after** completing a task that adds/changes workflows, templates, or conventions
- **Consider release after** documentation-only tasks if they affect downstream behavior
- **Skip release for** internal-only changes (task board updates, this project's RF files)

## 5. Pre-Release Checklist

- [ ] All in-scope tasks are ✅ DONE or explicitly excluded
- [ ] Task Board is current
- [ ] TECH_DEBT.md reviewed — no critical items blocking release
- [ ] KNOWLEDGE.md updated via tfw-docs
- [ ] CHANGELOG.md entry written for this version
- [ ] VERSION file updated
- [ ] `init.md` still accurate for the new version
- [ ] Adapter templates consistent with current workflows

## 6. Release Steps

1. Review Task Board — identify all tasks completed since last version
2. Decide version bump type (MAJOR / MINOR / PATCH)
3. Write CHANGELOG.md entry
4. Update `.tfw/VERSION`
5. Update `tfw.version` in `.tfw/PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml`
6. Git commit: `release: vX.Y.Z`
7. Git tag: `vX.Y.Z`
8. Push to GitHub

---

> Maintained by project owner. Referenced by [`.tfw/workflows/release.md`](../../reference/workflows/release.md).

Step 6: Update .tfw/init.md

Add version tracking mention in two places:

A) New section after Step 2 (Configure):

## Step 2.5: Record TFW Version

Your `.tfw/PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml` includes a `tfw.version` field. It was set when you copied `.tfw/`.
This field is used by the `tfw-update` workflow to detect which version of TFW your project is running.

> ⚠️ Do not manually change `tfw.version` — it is updated by the `tfw-update` workflow.

B) In Step 4 (Create Root Files), add RELEASE.md mention:

# RELEASE.md (optional) — if your project has versioned releases
cp .tfw/templates/RELEASE.md RELEASE.md
# Edit RELEASE.md: answer the guiding questions for your project's release strategy

C) In Verification checklist, add:

- [ ] `tfw.version` in `PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml` matches `.tfw/VERSION`
- [ ] `RELEASE.md` exists (if project has releases) or consciously skipped

5. Acceptance Criteria

  • [ ] .tfw/VERSION contains 0.3.0 (single line, valid semver)
  • [ ] .tfw/CHANGELOG.md has entries for 0.1.0, 0.2.0, 0.3.0, 0.3.1 with accurate content
  • [ ] .tfw/PROJECT_CONFIG.yaml has version: "0.3.0" under tfw: section
  • [ ] .tfw/templates/RELEASE.md has guiding scaffold with 6 sections
  • [ ] RELEASE.md (root) is fully populated for trace-first-starter
  • [ ] .tfw/init.md mentions version tracking and RELEASE.md
  • [ ] No broken cross-references in modified files

6. Phase Risks

Risk Mitigation
Retroactive CHANGELOG entries inaccurate Cross-check against .tfw/README.md §Evolution and task RF files
tfw.version field name conflicts with YAML conventions Use simple string field, no complex types

TS — TFW-6 / Phase A: Core Versioning Infrastructure | 2026-03-12