Update release.yml

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0 # needed so git describe/git log can see full history and tags
 
       - name: Create release archive
         run: |
@@ -28,17 +30,24 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Generate release notes
         run: |
-          PREV_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 ${{ github.ref }}^ 2>/dev/null || echo "")
-          if [ -z "$PREV_TAG" ]; then
-            RANGE=$(git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD)..HEAD
-          else
-            RANGE=$PREV_TAG..HEAD
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # Find previous tag. Prefer the one before the current tag on the same history; fallback to the next most recent tag.
+          PREV_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 "${GITHUB_REF}^" 2>/dev/null || true)
+          if [ -z "${PREV_TAG:-}" ]; then
+            PREV_TAG=$(git tag --sort=-version:refname | grep -v "^${GITHUB_REF_NAME}$" | head -n1 || true)
           fi
-          echo "# Release ${{ github.ref_name }}" > release_notes.md
+          if [ -z "${PREV_TAG:-}" ]; then
+            RANGE="$(git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD)..${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+            SINCE_LABEL="project start"
+          else
+            RANGE="${PREV_TAG}..${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+            SINCE_LABEL="${PREV_TAG}"
+          fi
+          echo "# Release ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" > release_notes.md
           echo "" >> release_notes.md
-          echo "## Changes since $PREV_TAG" >> release_notes.md
+          echo "## Changes since ${SINCE_LABEL}" >> release_notes.md
           echo "" >> release_notes.md
-          git log $RANGE --pretty=format:"- %s ([%h](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/commit/%H)) by %an" >> release_notes.md
+          git log ${RANGE} --pretty=format:"- %s ([%h](https://github.com/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/commit/%H)) by %an" >> release_notes.md
           echo "" >> release_notes.md
 
       - name: Create GitHub Release