Guidebook Release

From working mod to a release others can install. Companion: Developer Publishing.

1. Pre-release checklist (all languages)

• Unique mod ID; identity complete (Lua mod.json, C# [GregMod] + registry, JS folder name = mod ID).
• Cold start + HotLoad clean; no errors; log confirms registration (Loaded mod / Reloaded).
• Save round-trip: save → load → remove mod → vanilla still loads (Lua/C# with state; JS trivially safe — no state).
• UI truthful: Hub Open/Close, HUD row ↔ real hotkey, input restored after close.
• Co-op scope documented (SP-only vs co-op-tested; identical mod sets for co-op).
• Diagnostics green: [DynamicPatcher] applied, no [HwId] error spam, dotnet test (C#), validate_contracts.py if you touch hooks.

2. Versioning

• SemVer everywhere: manifest Version, [GregMod] version, JS folder/version noted in README.
• Framework floor: document the gregCore version you built against (1.2.3) in the README (Lua ApiVersion/Loader fields and C# [GregDependsOn("gregCore", "1.2.3")] state it in-repo).
• Never reuse shop/item IDs or GUIDs; never rename a shipped custom event — add a new one.

3. Packaging per language

Language	Ship	Installs to
Lua	Zip of <modId>/ (mod.json + main.lua + modules; no absolute paths)	UserData/gregCore/Mods/Lua/<modId>/
C#	DLL (+ declared deps); soft-dep unless consciously hard	Per Deploy-Release-ToDataCenter.ps1 conventions
JS/TS	Folder <modId>/ with compiled *.js (+ greg.d.ts-checked .ts sources in your repo)	UserData/gregCore/Mods/JS/<modId>/ (legacy flat UserLibs/Js/ still loads)

Custom-item meshes/textures/icons ship as files in the mod/pack folder (mesh pre-check + traversal guard apply).

4. Release flow

dev → pre-release → main; Conventional Commits (feat:, fix:, docs:…); README + docs + CHANGELOG.md (Unreleased) updated with every feature; Workshop copy via steamdesc.md + Deploy-Release-ToWorkshop.ps1 / Update-ReleaseMetadata.ps1. Security reports via SECURITY.md — never public issues.

5. Post-release (after each game update)

1. Vanilla-first test (no mods → loads).
2. Re-copy interop assemblies (C#); regenerate GameApi + hooks if methods changed; validate_contracts.py.
3. Re-run your chapter checkpoints; bump the documented framework floor when you adopt new APIs.