fix(release): collapse synthetic version-bump entries in feeder-PR preview

[goosewobbler]

Summary

Closes #468. In standing-PR mode, the feeder-PR preview rendered a full changelog block (Changed → Update version to X.X.X) for every package a sync/lockstep bump carries along, instead of collapsing those no-real-change packages into the compact "Also bumped" list. A single-package PR (wdio example) drowned in ~10 placeholder blocks for untouched packages.

Root cause

The version engine mints a synthetic Update version to X placeholder for any bumped package with no conventional commits of its own (versionStrategies.ts, groupStrategy.ts, packageProcessor.ts). The preview formatter's compaction keyed off an empty changelog:

const packagesWithChangelog = new Set(
  versionOutput.changelogs.filter((cl) => cl.entries.length > 0).map((cl) => cl.packageName),
);

The placeholder makes entries.length === 1, so the package escaped the "Also bumped" list and rendered a full block. The tell: only the one package that reached the formatter with a genuinely empty changelog collapsed correctly; every other carry leaked the placeholder.

Fix

• VersionChangelogEntry gains an optional synthetic flag (packages/core/src/types.ts), set at every minting site. Additive and optional — manifests written before it existed (absent flag = real entry) render exactly as before.
• The formatter treats a changelog whose entries are all synthetic as "no real changes" — it collapses into "Also bumped" instead of a full block, via a hasRealEntries predicate replacing the bare entries.length > 0 checks.
• The root lockstep bump is excluded from "Also bumped" at the list's definition, fixing a pre-existing leak in the non-sync branch (the sync branch already filtered it).

By construction a package's entries are either all-real or a single synthetic placeholder (the placeholder is only minted when extraction yields zero), so there is no mixed case to disambiguate.

Tests

packages/release/test/unit/preview-format.spec.ts — new block covering what the existing sync tests never exercised (synthetic entries actually present in changelogs):

• synthetic-only carries collapse into "Also bumped"; the changed package keeps its full block; no Update version to noise leaks; root never listed.
• all-synthetic output shows the "no individual changes" heading.
• legacy placeholder without the flag still renders (back-compat).

versionStrategies.spec.ts updated to assert the flag is now minted.

Verification

pnpm turbo run lint typecheck test — green (32/32 tasks). No config-schema change, so no schema:gen/docs:config regen (the flag is on the runtime VersionOutput contract, not config).

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Greptile Summary

This PR cleans up feeder-PR preview output for synthetic version-bump entries.

• Adds an optional synthetic marker to changelog entries.
• Marks fixed-group ride-along fallback entries as synthetic.
• Collapses synthetic-only package changelogs into the compact bumped list.
• Keeps changed packages and legacy placeholders visible.
• Adds tests for mixed, all-synthetic, and empty-extraction cases.

Confidence Score: 5/5

This looks safe to merge.

• No blocking issues found in the changed code.

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
packages/core/src/types.ts	Adds the optional synthetic changelog entry marker.
packages/release/src/preview/format.ts	Uses non-synthetic entries to decide which package changelog blocks to render.
packages/release/test/unit/preview-format.spec.ts	Adds preview coverage for synthetic-only carries and legacy placeholders.
packages/version/src/core/groupStrategy.ts	Marks only unchanged fixed-group ride-alongs as synthetic fallback entries.
packages/version/test/unit/core/groupStrategy.spec.ts	Adds group-strategy coverage for carry entries and empty extraction fallback behavior.

_{Reviews (3): Last reviewed commit: "fix(version): key carry-synthetic off me..." | Re-trigger Greptile}

[github-actions]

Standing release PR: #470 · v0.35.0 queued (4 packages) · open 39m · ✅ ready to merge

Release Preview — v0.34.0 → v0.35.0

Note: Labels on this PR are advisory in standing-pr mode. Bumps come from conventional commits in the standing PR; override by editing labels on the standing PR itself. Add release:immediate to bypass the standing PR and release this PR directly.

These changes will be added to the release PR (#470) when merged:

Changelog

monorepo v0.34.0 → 0.35.0

Added

• manual-mode draft-then-dispatch on a tracking issue (Manual-mode draft-then-dispatch: review release notes before publishing #319) (feat(release): manual-mode draft-then-dispatch on a tracking issue (#319) #463) (release) Manual-mode draft-then-dispatch: review release notes before publishing #319
• drive feeder-PR preview refresh in-process after a release (feat(release): drive feeder-PR preview refresh in-process after a release #461) (release) feat(release): drive refresh internally after a release (feeder refresh on both paths, incl. publish) #459
• add issue create/update/find to the Forge seam (feat(forge): add issue create/update/find to the Forge seam #462) (forge)

Changed

• bump the development-dependencies group with 3 updates (chore(deps-dev): bump the development-dependencies group with 3 updates #467) (deps-dev)

Fixed

• key carry-synthetic off member change, not extraction outcome (Greptile) (version)
• scope synthetic changelog flag to genuine group carries (Greptile) (version)
• keep explicit prereleases on their line in linked/fixed groups (fix(version): keep explicit prereleases on their line in linked/fixed groups #460) (version) Prerelease request graduates to stable when a linked/fixed group member's manifest lags its tag #458
• don't push the branch in standing-PR publish (fix(publish): don't push the branch in standing-PR publish #457) (publish)
• collapse synthetic version-bump entries in feeder-PR preview (release) Standing-PR preview shows full changelog blocks for sync-bumped packages (synthetic entries defeat 'Also bumped') #468

All packages → 0.35.0 (sync versioning)

• @releasekit/version
• @releasekit/notes
• @releasekit/publish
• @releasekit/release

After merge — predicted release

No version escalation — this PR's changes will be included in the queued release without affecting the projected versions.

Package	Standing PR	This PR	After merge
monorepo	0.35.0	0.35.0	0.35.0

---

Updated automatically by ReleaseKit