Deprecate release() in favour of usethis::use_release_issue() (#2646)

Fixes #2500

Author: hadley

NEWS.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 * `dev_sitrep()` now works correctly in Positron (#2618).
 * `is_loading()` is now re-exported from pkgload (#2556).
 * `load_all()` now errors if called recursively, i.e. if you accidentally include a `load_all()` call in one of your R source files (#2617).
+* `release()` is deprecated in favour of `usethis::use_release_issue()`.
 * `show_news()` now looks for NEWS files in the same locations as `utils::news()`: `inst/NEWS.Rd`, `NEWS.md`, `NEWS`, and `inst/NEWS` (@arcresu, #2499).
 
 # devtools 2.4.6

R/release.R

@@ -1,23 +1,15 @@
 #' Release package to CRAN.
 #'
-#' Run automated and manual tests, then post package to CRAN.
-#'
-#' The package release process will:
-#'
-#'   * Confirm that the package passes `R CMD check` on relevant platforms
-#'   * Confirm that important files are up-to-date
-#'   * Build the package
-#'   * Submit the package to CRAN, using comments in "cran-comments.md"
+#' @description
+#' `r lifecycle::badge("deprecated")`
 #'
-#' You can add arbitrary extra questions by defining an (un-exported) function
-#' called `release_questions()` that returns a character vector
-#' of additional questions to ask.
+#' `release()` is deprecated in favour of [usethis::use_release_issue()].
+#' We no longer feel confident recommending `release()` because we don't use it
+#' ourselves, so there's no guarantee that it will track best practices as
+#' they evolve over time.
 #'
-#' You also need to read the CRAN repository policy at
-#' 'https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/policies.html' and make
-#' sure you're in line with the policies. `release` tries to automate as
-#' many of polices as possible, but it's impossible to be completely
-#' comprehensive, and they do change in between releases of devtools.
+#' If you want to programmatical submit to CRAN, you can continue to use
+#' [submit_cran()].
 #'
 #' @template devtools
 #' @param check if `TRUE`, run checking, otherwise omit it.  This
@@ -29,6 +21,15 @@
 #'   tasks that you can use in addition to or in place of `release`.
 #' @export
 release <- function(pkg = ".", check = FALSE, args = NULL) {
+  lifecycle::deprecate_warn(
+    "2.5.0",
+    "release()",
+    "usethis::use_release_issue()"
+  )
+  if (!rlang::is_interactive()) {
+    cli::cli_abort("Interactive session required.")
+  }
+
   pkg <- as.package(pkg)
   # Figure out if this is a new package
   cran_version <- cran_pkg_version(pkg$package)
@@ -159,6 +160,10 @@ find_release_questions <- function(pkg = ".") {
 }
 
 yesno <- function(msg, .envir = parent.frame()) {
+  if (!rlang::is_interactive()) {
+    cli::cli_abort("Called from non-interactive context.")
+  }
+
   yeses <- c(
     "Yes",
     "Definitely",
@@ -226,23 +231,13 @@ cran_submission_url <- "https://xmpalantir.wu.ac.at/cransubmit/index2.php"
 #' Submit a package to CRAN
 #'
 #' @description
-
 #' This submits your package to CRAN using the web-form submission process.
-#' After submission, you will receive an email asking you to confirm submission
-#' - this is used to check that the package is submitted by the maintainer.
-#'
-#' You may prefer to use `submit_cran()` indirectly, by calling [release()]
-#' instead. `release()` performs many checks verifying that your package is
-#' indeed ready for CRAN, before eventually asking for your confirmation that
-#' you'd like to submit it to CRAN (which it does by calling `submit_cran()`).
+#' To complete the submission you will need respond to the email sent to the
+#' maintainer email address.
 #'
-#' Whether to use `release()` or `submit_cran()` depends on the rest of your
-#' development process. If you want to be super cautious, use `release()`, even
-#' though it may be redundant with other checks you have performed. On the other
-#' hand, if you have many other checks in place (such as automated checks via
-#' GitHub Actions and the task list generated by
-#' [usethis::use_release_issue()]), it makes sense to use `submit_cran()`
-#' directly.
+#' We generally recommend using this part of the process defined by
+#' [use_release_issue()]; this process maximizes the chances of a successful
+#' submission.
 #'
 #' @template devtools
 #' @inheritParams release

_pkgdown.yml

@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ reference:
   - document
   - load_all
   - reload
-  - release
   - spell_check
   - test
 - title: Package Installation
@@ -49,6 +48,10 @@ reference:
   - wd
   - save_all
 
+- title: Deprecated functions
+  contents:
+  - release
+
 news:
   releases:
   - text: "Version 2.2.1"

man/release.Rd

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# release() is deprecated
+
+    Code
+      . <- release()
+    Condition
+      Warning:
+      `release()` was deprecated in devtools 2.5.0.
+      i Please use `usethis::use_release_issue()` instead.
+      Error in `release()`:
+      ! Interactive session required.
+

man/submit_cran.Rd

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+test_that("release() is deprecated", {
+  expect_snapshot(. <- release(), error = TRUE)
+})