chore: consolidate root docs and retire per-version release-notes pattern

- Delete 178 RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md files; the full history already lives in
  CHANGELOG.md as `## vX.Y.Z` sections with stable `#vX.Y.Z` anchors.
- Rewrite .github/workflows/release.yml to extract each release body from
  the matching CHANGELOG section between `<a id="vX.Y.Z">` anchors instead
  of reading per-file notes.
- Rewrite every active doc/code/asset reference to the new
  CHANGELOG.md#vX.Y.Z anchor form; .ai/research/<date>/ snapshots left as
  frozen historical artefacts.
- Move 7 planning/research snapshots to docs/archive/: SWIFTKEY_AI_RESEARCH,
  SWIFTKEY_FEATURE_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN, SWIFTKEY_PARITY_AUDIT,
  SWIFTKEY_PARITY_BUILD_PLAN, SWIFTKEY_PARITY_RESEARCH,
  SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17, ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.
- Remove stale README.md.bak.
- Bump gradle.properties to 1.8.171 / versionCode 1971; sync README badge.
- Update CHANGELOG v1.8.171 entry to describe the full consolidation.

Author: SysAdminDoc

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -231,12 +231,16 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           tag="v${RELEASE_VERSION}"
-          notes="RELEASE_NOTES_v${RELEASE_VERSION}.md"
-          # Compose the release body: prefer the per-version RELEASE_NOTES file when present, fall back to autogen,
-          # then append the OSV scan appendix produced earlier (matrix #9 + #44).
+          # Compose the release body: extract the per-version section from CHANGELOG.md when present,
+          # fall back to autogen, then append the OSV scan appendix (matrix #9 + #44).
+          # The section runs from the version's <a id="vX.Y.Z"></a> anchor to the next <a id="v..."> anchor.
           body_file="$(mktemp)"
-          if [ -f "$notes" ]; then
-            cat "$notes" > "$body_file"
+          if [ -f CHANGELOG.md ]; then
+            awk -v ver="$RELEASE_VERSION" '
+              $0 == "<a id=\"v" ver "\"></a>" { in_section = 1; next }
+              in_section && /^<a id="v[0-9]/ { exit }
+              in_section { print }
+            ' CHANGELOG.md > "$body_file"
           fi
           if [ -f RELEASE_OSV_SUMMARY.md ]; then
             cat RELEASE_OSV_SUMMARY.md >> "$body_file"

.github/workflows/reproducible-build.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: Reproducible APK Check
 
-# ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17 §B.4 / N12.5 — build the
+# docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17 §B.4 / N12.5 — build the
 # release APK twice from clean worktrees at the same commit and fail on
 # byte-level drift before F-Droid's rebuilder catches it.
 

AGENTS.md

@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ mode, etc.). Tool-specific files like [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) carry
 4. [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) — full roadmap with history; ~340 KB,
    tiered NOW / NEXT / LATER / UNDER CONSIDERATION / REJECTED with
    sourced appendix.
-5. [`SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md)
+5. [`docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md)
    — current sprint plan (Phase A → E) timed to the 2026-05-31 SwiftKey
    account-retirement cutoff.
 6. [`IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md`](IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md) — execution-focused
    quality / a11y / perf / test / build / release plan; 15 workstreams.
-7. [`ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md`](ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md)
+7. [`docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md`](docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md)
    — most recent research-run additions and corrections, not yet folded
    into `ROADMAP.md`.
 8. [`.ai/research/<YYYY-MM-DD>/`](.ai/research/) — full research-run
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ commands above.
 | If your change is… | Lives in… |
 |---|---|
 | One feature slice, one release | A new `RELEASE_NOTES_vX.Y.Z.md` at repo root + a `gradle.properties` bump |
-| A SwiftKey-parity slice (Phase A/B/C/D/E) | The "Phased plan" in [SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) |
+| A SwiftKey-parity slice (Phase A/B/C/D/E) | The "Phased plan" in [docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) |
 | A roadmap-tier change (NOW / NEXT / LATER / UNDER CONSIDERATION) | [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §6/§7/§8/§9 |
 | A quality / a11y / perf / test / CI / release-hygiene workstream | [IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md](IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md) |
 | A research finding | New `.ai/research/<YYYY-MM-DD>/` directory; updates fold into the next `ROADMAP.md` `v5.X` refresh |

ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -195,11 +195,11 @@ tests use Roborazzi and Robolectric. The active test strategy is:
 
 ## Documentation Routing
 
-- Product state and roadmap: `PROJECT_CONTEXT.md`, `ROADMAP.md`,
-  `SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`
+- Product state and roadmap: `PROJECT_CONTEXT.md`, `ROADMAP.md`
+- Archived planning snapshots: `docs/archive/`
 - Typing behavior contracts: `docs/AUTOCORRECT_LIFECYCLE.md`
 - Research artifacts: `.ai/research/<YYYY-MM-DD>/`
-- Release notes: one root `RELEASE_NOTES_vX.Y.Z.md` per versioned release
+- Release notes: appended as a new `## vX.Y.Z` section in root `CHANGELOG.md`
 - Contributor workflow: `CONTRIBUTING.md`
 - Architecture: this file
 - Security/privacy/rebuild docs: `docs/`

CLAUDE.md

@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ ad-hoc Claude API sessions).
 
 1. [`PROJECT_CONTEXT.md`](PROJECT_CONTEXT.md) — one page; fastest read.
 2. [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md) — hard rules + file-routing.
-3. [`SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md)
-   — current sprint plan.
-4. [`ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md`](ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md)
-   — latest research run's additions / corrections.
-5. The most recent few `RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md` files — what shipped recently.
+3. [`docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md)
+   — sprint plan snapshot (archived 2026-05-18).
+4. [`docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md`](docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md)
+   — research-run additions / corrections (archived 2026-05-18).
+5. The top of [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) — most recent versions and what shipped.
 6. [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) only if the prior files leave a question
    unanswered. It's ~340 KB; sample by section heading.
 
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ ad-hoc Claude API sessions).
 The maintainer's `~/.claude/projects/.../memory/` already pins:
 
 - `Z:\repos` is the master directory holding all projects on this VM.
-- SwiftFloris-specific facts: Android keyboard fork; per-release file
-  pattern; build gates.
+- SwiftFloris-specific facts: Android keyboard fork; consolidated
+  `CHANGELOG.md` (one `## vX.Y.Z` section per release, anchor `#vX.Y.Z`);
+  build gates.
 - `git push` to `SysAdminDoc/SwiftFloris` fails 403 from this VM.
 
 Do not re-save these as memory entries.
@@ -74,8 +75,7 @@ Do not re-save these as memory entries.
 
 ## Writing style for this repo
 
-Conventions observed across `RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md`, `ROADMAP.md`, and
-`SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md`:
+Conventions observed across [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) and [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md):
 
 - **Tight prose.** Sentence-level precision; minimal hand-waving.
 - **Specific file references** with line numbers when relevant.

PROJECT_CONTEXT.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ through v1.8.170).
 
 This file is the single fastest read for an AI session, new contributor, or
 maintainer-context refresh. It does **not** replace [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md),
-[SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md),
+[docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md),
 [IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md](IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md), or any per-release notes — it
 distills their durable content into one page so those longer documents
 don't have to be re-read every time.
@@ -561,11 +561,11 @@ subsystem map in
 
 | If your change is… | Lives in… |
 |---|---|
-| One feature slice, one release | A new `RELEASE_NOTES_vX.Y.Z.md` at repo root + a `gradle.properties` bump |
-| A SwiftKey-parity slice (Phase A/B/C/D/E) | The "Phased plan" in [SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) |
+| One feature slice, one release | A new `## vX.Y.Z` section appended to [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) + a `gradle.properties` bump |
+| A SwiftKey-parity slice (Phase A/B/C/D/E) | The "Phased plan" in [docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) (snapshot; migrate active items into `ROADMAP.md`) |
 | A roadmap-tier change (NOW / NEXT / LATER / UNDER CONSIDERATION) | [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §6/§7/§8/§9 |
 | A quality / a11y / perf / test / CI / release-hygiene workstream | [IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md](IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md) |
-| A research finding that updates a prior roadmap claim | [ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) (this run's addendum) |
+| A research finding that updates a prior roadmap claim | [docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) (snapshot; fold corrections into `ROADMAP.md`) |
 | A security / dependency / crypto migration | [docs/SECURITY.md](docs/SECURITY.md) + [docs/THREAT_MODEL.md](docs/THREAT_MODEL.md) + [docs/REPRODUCIBLE_BUILDS.md](docs/REPRODUCIBLE_BUILDS.md) |
 | Architecture or contributor workflow | [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md) + [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) |
 | A UX / migration walkthrough | `docs/MIGRATE_FROM_SWIFTKEY.md`, `docs/INLINE_AUTOFILL.md`, `docs/TASKER_INTEGRATION.md` |
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ standalone SwiftKey accounts on that date. Non-MS-account data is gone
 after the cutoff. The migration funnel is the highest-priority external
 clock the project has.
 
-Phase A of `SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md` is sized for this:
+Phase A of `docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md` is sized for this:
 
 - ✅ A1 — README outreach pivot (shipped v1.8.52)
 - ✅ A2 — Post-import confirmation + rollback (shipped v1.8.53)
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ Per [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §15 Definition of Done:
 
 1. `:app:testDebugUnitTest`, `:app:lintDebug`, `:app:assembleDebug` all green locally.
 2. Manual QA pass on a real device.
-3. Per-release `RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md` file written.
+3. New `## vX.Y.Z` section appended to root `CHANGELOG.md`.
 4. `gradle.properties` versionCode + versionName bumped.
 5. New dep / asset → `NOTICE` / `LICENSES/` updated.
 6. APK signed and installable; SHA-256 published in release notes.
@@ -715,9 +715,11 @@ Per [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §15 Definition of Done:
 
 ## 11. Memory rules captured by prior research
 
-- **Per-release file pattern:** every release ships its own
-  `RELEASE_NOTES_v<MAJOR>.<MINOR>.<PATCH>.md`. There is no rolled-up
-  `CHANGELOG.md` and there should not be.
+- **Consolidated changelog pattern:** every release appends a new
+  `## v<MAJOR>.<MINOR>.<PATCH>` section to root `CHANGELOG.md`, preceded
+  by an `<a id="vX.Y.Z"></a>` anchor. The release workflow extracts the
+  section between anchors for the GitHub release body. The legacy
+  per-file `RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md` pattern was retired 2026-05-18.
 - **Build gate:** every code change must keep `:app:verifyNoInternetPermission`
   passing. The build fails otherwise.
 - **License ceiling:** `:app` is Apache-2.0. GPL / AGPL / LGPL /
@@ -745,7 +747,7 @@ Per [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §15 Definition of Done:
 - [FEATURE_BACKLOG.md](.ai/research/2026-05-17/FEATURE_BACKLOG.md) — raw harvested ideas
 - [PRIORITIZATION_MATRIX.md](.ai/research/2026-05-17/PRIORITIZATION_MATRIX.md) — scored + tiered
 - [CHANGESET_SUMMARY.md](.ai/research/2026-05-17/CHANGESET_SUMMARY.md) — what this research run created or changed
-- (At repo root) [ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) — the actionable additions
+- (At repo root) [docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) — the actionable additions
 
 Future research runs should follow the same `.ai/research/<YYYY-MM-DD>/`
 convention so prior runs remain auditable.
@@ -756,9 +758,9 @@ convention so prior runs remain auditable.
 |---|---|
 | Project pitch + setup | [README.md](README.md) |
 | The big roadmap with full history | [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) |
-| The current sprint plan | [SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) |
-| The latest research run's recommendations | [ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) |
+| The current sprint plan | [docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/SWIFTKEY_PARITY_ROADMAP_2026-05-17.md) |
+| The latest research run's recommendations | [docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md](docs/archive/ROADMAP_RESEARCH_ADDENDUM_2026-05-17.md) (snapshot) |
 | Quality / a11y / perf / test plan | [IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md](IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md) |
 | Threat model + security posture | [docs/THREAT_MODEL.md](docs/THREAT_MODEL.md) + [docs/SECURITY.md](docs/SECURITY.md) |
-| What ships in the next release | The latest `RELEASE_NOTES_v*.md` |
+| What ships in the next release | Top section of [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) |
 | What I'm allowed to put in `:app` | §2 above + [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md) §1, §10 |