whats-new

Generate a dated markdown changelog from git branch differences.

13|1|Updated Mar 12, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/danchamorro/pi-agent-toolkit --skill whats-new-danchamorro
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: whats-new
Source: https://github.com/danchamorro/pi-agent-toolkit/tree/main/dotfiles/global-skills/whats-new
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/danchamorro/pi-agent-toolkit --skill whats-new-danchamorro

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill eliminates the manual effort of auditing commits and file changes by automatically analyzing branch differences and producing a focused, architectural changelog entry that helps developers catch up quickly.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Automated Comparison: Fetches from origin and compares HEAD against a target branch or time range to produce a clear summary of commits and file changes.
  • Contextual Analysis: Highlights new files, modified modules, and areas of architectural significance (models, services, tasks, APIs, migrations).
  • Changelog Generation: Produces a dated, structured markdown changelog entry in .notes/changelog with summaries, new capabilities, modified files, and dependency changes.
  • Use Case: Use after merging a feature branch or during handoffs to create a single-scannable changelog for release notes or onboarding.

Quick Start

Run /whats-new to compare the current branch to origin/master and generate a concise changelog entry summarizing the important changes.

Frequently Asked Questions about whats-new

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I generate a changelog from git diffs between branches?

You can generate a changelog from git diffs by fetching from origin, running git log and git diff against a target branch, parsing changed files for models, services, tasks, APIs, and migrations, and writing a dated markdown summary to .notes/changelog.

What is the best way to summarize recent git commits for a code review?

The best way to summarize recent git commits for code review is to analyze branch differences, highlight new files and modified modules, and identify areas of architectural significance like models, services, tasks, APIs, and migrations to produce a scannable summary.

Can I automatically create release notes from git branch differences?

Yes, you can create release notes from git branch differences by comparing HEAD against a target branch or time range to produce a structured markdown changelog entry summarizing commits, new capabilities, modified files, and dependency changes.

Does this changelog generation approach work without any external dependencies?

Yes, this changelog generation approach works without external dependencies, relying solely on standard git commands like fetch, log, and diff to analyze repository changes and output a markdown file.

When do I need to run a git diff analysis for a changelog entry?

You need to run a git diff analysis for a changelog entry after merging a feature branch, during handoffs, or when catching up on recent development activity to create a concise summary for release notes or onboarding.