Changelog CLI Tool

Generate a user‑friendly changelog for the last N git commits using OpenAI

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7 or newer
• Git
• Internet access (for remote repos or API calls)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone /path/to/your/repo
   cd cli_tool

2. (Optional) Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

python changelog_cli.py N [options]

Where N is the number of commits to include.

Options:

• -k, --api-key KEY
  Override the default API key.
• -b, --branch BRANCH
  Branch to fetch commits from (default: main).
• -r, --repo REPO
  Path or URL of the git repository (default: current directory).
• -m, --markdown
  Save the generated changelog to changelog.md.

Examples

Generate a changelog for the last 5 commits in the current repo:

python changelog_cli.py 5

Specify a branch and save as markdown:

python changelog_cli.py 10 -b develop -m

Use a custom API key:

python changelog_cli.py 8 -k sk-abc123

Fetch from a remote GitHub repository:

python changelog_cli.py 6 -r https://github.com/user/repo.git

Testing

Run the built‑in tests with pytest:

python3 -m pytest changelog_cli.py

Note

Used GitHub Copilot to aid with feature development

Website

You can view the changelog as a static website:

1. Generate or update changelog.md with your latest commits:

   python changelog_cli.py N -m

2. Serve the site via cd site && python3 -m http.server 8000

The page will fetch changelog.md and render it via a Markdown parser.

Technical & Product Decisions

I chose a plain‑HTML frontend to keep the experience as simple and lightweight as possible—no build step or server required. While I’m comfortable with React and Next.js, this static HTML + marked.js approach delivers instant load, easy deployment, and minimal maintenance.

Design Rationale

• We kept as few files as possible to make it easier to traverse the repo and locate key functionality quickly.

Questions:

• Does it work?
  Yes – commands run out‑of‑the‑box, generate changelogs, and render correctly in both CLI and static site modes.
• Does the backend logic make sense?
  The fetch‑generate‑output flow is straightforward: retrieve commits, send to API, validate and print or save.
• Is there evidence of user‑centered product choices?
  We’ve prioritized simplicity (no server, minimal deps), clear defaults, and helpful warnings to guide users.
• Is it pretty (simple and minimal can be beautiful)?
  The UI is clean: one HTML file, a basic CSS, and Markdown styling. It’s intentionally minimal yet readable.
• How is the UX from the developer’s perspective?
  Very easy – install deps, run one script, and get a polished changelog. No build steps, no config complexity.