WordPress Plugin Release

Overview

This skill generates release infrastructure for WordPress plugins: README.md documentation, build.sh packaging scripts, and GitHub Actions release workflows. It works with any WordPress plugin, with optional sections for WordPress Abilities API integrations.

Workflow

Step 1: Detect Plugin Metadata

Before generating files, extract metadata from the main plugin PHP file header:

/**
 * Plugin Name: {{PLUGIN_NAME}}
 * Description: {{PLUGIN_DESCRIPTION}}
 * Version: {{VERSION}}
 * Requires at least: {{MIN_WP_VERSION}}
 * Requires PHP: {{MIN_PHP_VERSION}}
 * Author: {{AUTHOR}}
 * License: {{LICENSE}}
 * Text Domain: {{PLUGIN_SLUG}}
 */

Also identify:

• PLUGIN_SLUG: Directory name and text domain (e.g., internal-links-api)
• MAIN_FILE: Main PHP filename (e.g., internal-links-api.php)
• NAMESPACE: PHP namespace if using PSR-4 autoloading
• VERSION_CONSTANT: The constant name for version (e.g., INTERNAL_LINKS_API_VERSION)
• HAS_COMPOSER: Whether composer.json exists
• HAS_SRC_DIR: Whether src/ directory exists for autoloading

Step 2: Generate Requested Files

Use the templates in assets/ as starting points, replacing placeholders with detected metadata.

File Generation

README.md

Use assets/readme-template.md as the base template.

Core sections (always include):

• Plugin name and description
• Requirements (WordPress version, PHP version, dependencies)
• Installation instructions
• License

Optional sections (include based on plugin features):

• MCP Setup Guide - Include for Abilities API plugins with MCP integration
• Available Abilities - Include for plugins registering WordPress Abilities
• Configuration - Include if plugin has settings page or filter hooks
• Usage Examples - Include with realistic examples for the plugin's features
• Troubleshooting - Include common issues and solutions
• Building for Distribution - Include when generating build.sh

When generating README.md:

1. Read the main plugin file to extract metadata
2. Analyze plugin structure to determine which optional sections apply
3. Replace all placeholders in the template
4. Remove section markers and unused optional sections
5. Add plugin-specific content for usage examples and troubleshooting

build.sh

Use assets/build-template.sh as the base template.

The build script:

1. Extracts version from the main plugin file header
2. Creates a clean build directory
3. Copies necessary files (main file, src/, vendor/ after composer install, etc.)
4. Runs composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader if composer.json exists
5. Creates versioned and latest zip files in dist/

Customize the FILES_TO_COPY array based on plugin structure:

• Always include main PHP file
• Include src/ if using PSR-4 autoloading
• Include composer.json and composer.lock if using Composer
• Include README.md for distribution
• Include any other essential directories (e.g., includes/, assets/, templates/)

GitHub Release Workflow

Use assets/release-workflow-template.yml as the base template.

The workflow:

1. Triggers on version tags (v*)
2. Sets up PHP with Composer
3. Extracts version from tag name
4. Updates version in plugin file(s)
5. Runs build.sh
6. Creates GitHub Release with auto-generated notes
7. Attaches zip files to release

Customize version update commands based on:

• Main plugin file location
• Version constant naming pattern
• Any other files containing version numbers

Placeholders Reference

Placeholder	Description	Detection Method
{{PLUGIN_NAME}}	Human-readable name	Plugin Name header
{{PLUGIN_SLUG}}	Directory/text-domain	Text Domain header or directory name
{{PLUGIN_DESCRIPTION}}	Plugin description	Description header
{{MAIN_FILE}}	Main PHP filename	Plugin file in root matching slug
{{NAMESPACE}}	PHP namespace	First namespace declaration
{{VERSION_CONSTANT}}	Version constant	Look for define('*_VERSION' pattern
{{AUTHOR}}	Plugin author	Author header
{{LICENSE}}	License type	License header
{{MIN_WP_VERSION}}	Minimum WP version	Requires at least header
{{MIN_PHP_VERSION}}	Minimum PHP version	Requires PHP header
{{HAS_COMPOSER}}	Uses Composer	Check for composer.json
{{FILES_TO_COPY}}	Files for distribution	Analyze plugin structure

Detecting Abilities API Plugins

A plugin uses WordPress Abilities API if it:

• Has a dependency on WP_Abilities_Registry class
• Hooks into wp_abilities_api_init or wp_abilities_api_categories_init
• Contains files in an Abilities/ directory
• Has Ability classes that implement execute() method

When an Abilities API plugin is detected, include the MCP Setup Guide and Available Abilities sections in README.md.

Resources

assets/

• readme-template.md - README template with core and optional sections
• build-template.sh - Build script template with placeholders
• release-workflow-template.yml - GitHub Actions workflow template

references/

• wordpress-plugin-structure.md - Reference for WordPress plugin standards and conventions