Pre-release Slack Announcement

Compose Slack message announcing new pre-release build to #platform-dev-tools.

Invoke: /announce-prerelease or when user asks to announce pre-release to Slack.

Steps

1. Identify versions

Get the pre-release version and current stable marketplace version:

# Get latest pre-release from GitHub
gh release list --repo forcedotcom/salesforcedx-vscode --limit 20 | grep -E "v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+" | head -1

# Current marketplace stable version
gh release list --repo forcedotcom/salesforcedx-vscode --exclude-pre-releases --limit 1

2. Extract changelog differences

Read packages/salesforcedx-vscode/CHANGELOG.md and extract changes between:

• Pre-release version (top of CHANGELOG)
• Current stable marketplace version

Focus on:

• New features (Added section)
• Bug fixes (Fixed section)
• Breaking changes (if any)
• Important notes

3. Compose Slack message

Format for #platform-dev-tools:

🚀 *Salesforce Extensions for VS Code v<version> Pre-release Available*

A new pre-release build is ready for testing on the marketplace.

*What's New:*
• <feature 1>
• <feature 2>

*Bug Fixes:*
• <fix 1>
• <fix 2>

*Testing:*
Install via VS Code Extensions → search "Salesforce" → switch to Pre-release version

Or install manually:
`code --install-extension salesforce.salesforcedx-vscode@<version>`

Please test and report any issues before the stable release.

📊 <link to GitHub release for full details>

Formatting rules:

• Use bullet points (•) for list items
• Keep descriptions concise (one line per item)
• Drop PR/issue numbers and technical details
• Include link to GitHub release
• Add emoji for visual appeal (🚀 🐛 ✨ 📊)

4. Show preview and send

Show composed message to user for review.

If Slack MCP available:

• Offer to post directly to #platform-dev-tools
• Or save as draft for user to send manually

Wait for user approval before posting.

5. Verify post

After sending, confirm message was posted successfully.

Best Practices

• Timing: Send announcement shortly after pre-release is published to marketplace
• Audience: Engineers testing pre-releases, not end users
• Tone: Encouraging testing/feedback, not "this is ready for everyone"
• Content: Focus on testable changes, not implementation details
• Links: Always include link to GitHub release for full details

Example Messages

Feature-focused pre-release

🚀 *Salesforce Extensions v68.1.0 Pre-release Available*

New features ready for testing:

*Added:*
• ✨ LWC inline documentation on hover
• ✨ Apex code actions for quick fixes
• 📊 Enhanced Apex language server performance

*Fixed:*
• 🐛 SOQL Builder syntax highlighting
• 🐛 Org Browser refresh issues

Install via Extensions view → search "Salesforce" → Pre-release version

Test and share feedback! 
📋 Details: https://github.com/forcedotcom/salesforcedx-vscode/releases/tag/v68.1.0

Bug fix pre-release

🐛 *Salesforce Extensions v68.0.1 Pre-release - Bug Fixes*

Quick bug fix build ready for testing:

*Fixed:*
• Code completion crash on large files
• Deploy errors with LWC metadata
• Authentication token refresh issues

Install pre-release from Extensions view to verify fixes.

Thanks for reporting these issues!
📋 https://github.com/forcedotcom/salesforcedx-vscode/releases/tag/v68.0.1

Notes

• Pre-release announcements are optional - not every nightly needs announcement
• Use for significant changes or when requesting testing feedback
• Keep message brief - engineers can read full CHANGELOG if interested
• Encourage feedback and issue reporting