feat(releaser): release v1.3.0 — release.env dotenv artifact

Documents the release.env feature: a NEXT_VERSION=<tag> file written
to the repo root on every real release, intended as a GitLab CI dotenv
artifact for passing the version to downstream pipeline jobs.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 Format: [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 
+## [1.3.0] - 2026-07-07
+
+### Added
+
+- **`release.env` dotenv artifact** — on every real release (not `--dry-run`) a `release.env` file is written to the repository root containing `NEXT_VERSION=<tag>`; the file is never committed, allowing GitLab CI to expose it as a dotenv artifact and pass the version to downstream jobs (deploy, notify, etc.)
+
 ## [1.2.0] - 2026-07-07
 
 ### Added

README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # releaser
 
-![release](https://img.shields.io/badge/release-v1.2.0-blue.svg)
+![release](https://img.shields.io/badge/release-v1.3.0-blue.svg)
 
 A CI-friendly release automation tool for GitFlow workflows using Conventional Commits.
 

ROADMAP.md

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 - [x] ~~Colored, structured CLI output~~ — ✓ shipped v1.2.0 (`·` / `✓` / `!` symbols, `▸` section headers in verbose, TTY-aware ANSI colors)
 - [x] ~~Name and version header on every run~~ — ✓ shipped v1.2.0
 - [x] ~~Default tag prefix changed to empty~~ — ✓ shipped v1.2.0 (bare `1.2.3` tags by default; opt in to `v` prefix via config)
+- [x] ~~`release.env` dotenv artifact~~ — ✓ shipped v1.3.0 (`NEXT_VERSION=<tag>` written on every release for GitLab CI downstream jobs)
 - [ ] Documentation site
 
 ## Future / backlog

cmd/main.go

@@ -387,6 +387,13 @@ func run(o options) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// --- release.env (GitLab CI dotenv artifact) ---
+	releaseEnvPath := filepath.Join(absRepo, "release.env")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(releaseEnvPath, []byte("NEXT_VERSION="+nextTag+"\n"), 0644); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("write release.env: %w", err)
+	}
+	logDone("release.env: NEXT_VERSION=%s", nextTag)
+
 	// --- pom.xml + CHANGELOG.md (skipped with --tag-only) ---
 	if !o.tagOnly {
 		var filesToCommit []string

cmd/main_test.go

@@ -658,6 +658,47 @@ func TestRunChangelogFile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunReleaseEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	_, dir := setupRepo(t)
+	addFile(t, dir, "x.go", "// fix")
+	repo, _ := gogit.PlainOpen(dir)
+	w, _ := repo.Worktree()
+	w.Add("x.go")
+	w.Commit("fix: something", &gogit.CommitOptions{Author: testSig()})
+
+	err := execCmd(t, "--no-push", "--branch", "release/1.2", "--repo", dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "release.env"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected release.env to be created")
+	}
+	content := strings.TrimSpace(string(data))
+	if content != "NEXT_VERSION=1.2.0" {
+		t.Errorf("release.env content = %q, want %q", content, "NEXT_VERSION=1.2.0")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunReleaseEnvDryRun(t *testing.T) {
+	_, dir := setupRepo(t)
+	addFile(t, dir, "x.go", "// fix")
+	repo, _ := gogit.PlainOpen(dir)
+	w, _ := repo.Worktree()
+	w.Add("x.go")
+	w.Commit("fix: something", &gogit.CommitOptions{Author: testSig()})
+
+	err := execCmd(t, "--dry-run", "--branch", "release/1.2", "--repo", dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "release.env")); err == nil {
+		t.Error("release.env must not be created in --dry-run mode")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunVerbose(t *testing.T) {
 	_, dir := setupRepo(t)
 	addFile(t, dir, "x.go", "// feat")