Allow skipping packages in a release

scripts/release/cli.js

@@ -137,6 +137,15 @@ const { argv } = require('yargs');
       );
       versions = await prompt(versionUpdates);
 
+      /**
+       * Remove the skipped packages
+       */
+      Object.keys(versions).forEach(name => {
+        if (versions[name] === 'skip') {
+          delete versions[name];
+        }
+      });
+
       /**
        * Verify that the versions selected are correct
        */

scripts/release/utils/inquirer.js

@@ -105,6 +105,30 @@ exports.packageVersionUpdate = async (package, releaseType) => {
     ];
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Skip a pacakage
+   *
+   * Reason:
+   * Lerna doesn't work well with merge commits and may mark a package as changed
+   * even though it's not changed except for the version bump from the last release.
+   * https://github.com/lerna/lerna/issues/1377
+   *
+   * Background:
+   * We introduced a release branch as a staging area for the next release
+   * while development continues in the master branch. Eventually we publish the packages from
+   * the release branch and make the version bumps in package.json and tags. It creats a merge
+   * commit in the master branch when we merge the release branch back.
+   *
+   * Only skip a package if you are sure Lerna listed the package in mistake.
+   * If you skipped a package, it won't show up in the candidate list going forward
+   * unless additional changes are made in this package.
+   *
+   */
+  choices.push({
+    name: chalk`Skip`,
+    value: 'skip'
+  });
+
   /**
    * Create prompts
    */