fix: report the release version from the VERSION file

.agents/skills/verify-diff-lifecycle/covered.lock

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ site lua/claudecode/diff_inline.lua: resolution_callback = resolution_callback,
 == lua/claudecode/health.lua
 file lua/claudecode/health.lua 5ab73bf388f3ac97
 == lua/claudecode/init.lua
-file lua/claudecode/init.lua dc27182999586381
+file lua/claudecode/init.lua ee4999490093989d
 block user_close_all     10e024fd8ada1c16
 site lua/claudecode/init.lua: local pending = diff.close_pending_diffs("user command") @ function M._create_commands()
 site lua/claudecode/init.lua: local rejected = diff.close_rejected_diffs("user command") @ function M._create_commands()

CLAUDE.md

@@ -370,50 +370,11 @@ Log levels for authentication events:
 
 ## Release Process
 
-### Version Updates
+release-please runs releases (`.github/workflows/release-please.yaml`). Each push to `main` runs release-please over the commits since the last release. When any of them would appear in the release notes, for example a `feat` or `fix` commit, it opens or updates the release PR, titled `chore(release): x.y.z`. The release PR bumps `VERSION` and `.release-please-manifest.json`, and Communique regenerates `CHANGELOG.md` and the PR body. Merging that PR creates the `vX.Y.Z` tag and the GitHub Release.
 
-When updating the version number for a new release, you must update **ALL** of these files:
-
-1. **`lua/claudecode/init.lua`** - Main version table:
-
-   ```lua
-   M.version = {
-     major = 0,
-     minor = 2,  -- Update this
-     patch = 0,  -- Update this
-     prerelease = nil,  -- Remove for stable releases
-   }
-   ```
-
-2. **`scripts/claude_interactive.sh`** - Multiple client version references:
-   - Line ~52: `"version": "0.2.0"` (handshake)
-   - Line ~223: `"version": "0.2.0"` (initialize)
-   - Line ~309: `"version": "0.2.0"` (reconnect)
-
-3. **`scripts/lib_claude.sh`** - ClaudeCodeNvim version:
-   - Line ~120: `"version": "0.2.0"` (init message)
-
-4. **`CHANGELOG.md`** - Add new release section with:
-   - Release date
-   - Features with PR references
-   - Bug fixes with PR references
-   - Development improvements
-
-### Release Commands
-
-```bash
-# Get merged PRs since last version
-gh pr list --state merged --base main --json number,title,mergedAt,url --jq 'sort_by(.mergedAt) | reverse'
-
-# Get commit history
-git log --oneline v0.1.0..HEAD
-
-# Always run before committing
-mise run all
-
-# Verify no old version references remain
-rg "0\.1\.0" .  # Should only show CHANGELOG.md historical entries
-```
+- Do not edit the version by hand. `lua/claudecode/init.lua` reads `M.version` from `VERSION` when it loads, so a release changes no Lua file and `covered.lock` stays current. The numbers in `init.lua` are only the `0.0.0-unknown` fallback.
+- Give each PR a Conventional Commits title. The merge queue squashes with the title, and release-please picks the next version from those subjects.
+- The `"version"` strings in `scripts/claude_interactive.sh` and `scripts/lib_claude.sh` are the test client's own `clientInfo`, not the plugin version.
 
 ## Development Workflow
 

lua/claudecode/README.md

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Module map (direct files):
 - `M.is_claude_connected()`: false when the server is not running. When `get_status().clients` is non-empty, true only when a client has `handshake_complete`. When it is empty, true when `client_count > 0`, with no handshake check [init.lua:M.is_claude_connected]
 - `M.send_at_mention(file_path, start_line?, end_line?, context?) -> ok, err?`: line numbers are 0-indexed [init.lua:M.send_at_mention]
 - `M.process_mention_queue(from_new_connection?)`: the server's `on_connect` callback calls it [init.lua:M.process_mention_queue]
-- `M.open_with_model(args)`, `M.get_version()`, and `M.version` (`0.2.0`) [init.lua:M.version]
+- `M.open_with_model(args)`, `M.get_version()`, and `M.version`, read from the repository's `VERSION` file at load [init.lua:M.version]
 - Internal API: `M._create_commands`, `M._broadcast_at_mention`, `M._add_paths_to_claude` (default `max_files` 100, `batch_size` 10), `M._format_path_for_at_mention`, `M._ensure_terminal_visible_if_connected`, and `M._maybe_warn_unfocusable_provider` [init.lua:M._add_paths_to_claude]
 
 ### User commands [init.lua:M._create_commands]

lua/claudecode/init.lua

@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@ local M = {}
 
 local logger = require("claudecode.logger")
 
---- Current plugin version
+--- Current plugin version. The values come from the VERSION file at the repository root, which release-please
+--- bumps, so a release changes no Lua file. Without a readable VERSION file the version is 0.0.0-unknown.
 ---@type ClaudeCodeVersion
 M.version = {
   major = 0,
-  minor = 2,
+  minor = 0,
   patch = 0,
-  prerelease = nil,
+  prerelease = "unknown",
   string = function(self)
     local version = string.format("%d.%d.%d", self.major, self.minor, self.patch)
     if self.prerelease then
@@ -25,6 +26,20 @@ M.version = {
   end,
 }
 
+do
+  local root = debug.getinfo(1, "S").source:match("^@(.-)lua[/\\]claudecode[/\\]init%.lua$")
+  local file = root and io.open(root .. "VERSION", "r")
+  if file then
+    local text = file:read("*l") or ""
+    file:close()
+    local major, minor, patch, prerelease = text:match("^(%d+)%.(%d+)%.(%d+)%-?(%S*)%s*$")
+    if major then
+      M.version.major, M.version.minor, M.version.patch = tonumber(major), tonumber(minor), tonumber(patch)
+      M.version.prerelease = prerelease ~= "" and prerelease or nil
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 -- Module state
 ---@type ClaudeCodeState
 M.state = {

tests/unit/version_spec.lua

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+require("tests.busted_setup")
+require("tests.mocks.vim")
+
+local temp_dir = require("tests.helpers.temp_dir")
+
+---Load a copy of init.lua from <dir>/lua/claudecode/init.lua, so it reads <dir>/VERSION.
+---@param dir string
+---@param version_text string|nil Contents of <dir>/VERSION, or nil for no file
+local function load_copy(dir, version_text)
+  os.execute("mkdir -p " .. temp_dir.quote(dir .. "/lua/claudecode"))
+  local src = assert(io.open("lua/claudecode/init.lua", "r"))
+  local dst = assert(io.open(dir .. "/lua/claudecode/init.lua", "w"))
+  dst:write(src:read("*a"))
+  src:close()
+  dst:close()
+  if version_text then
+    local file = assert(io.open(dir .. "/VERSION", "w"))
+    file:write(version_text)
+    file:close()
+  end
+  return assert(loadfile(dir .. "/lua/claudecode/init.lua"))()
+end
+
+describe("claudecode.version", function()
+  local dir
+
+  before_each(function()
+    dir = temp_dir.new()
+  end)
+
+  after_each(function()
+    temp_dir.remove(dir)
+    dir = nil
+  end)
+
+  it("matches the VERSION file that release-please bumps", function()
+    package.loaded["claudecode"] = nil
+    local claudecode = require("claudecode")
+    local file = assert(io.open("VERSION", "r"), "run the tests from the repository root")
+    local expected = file:read("*l")
+    file:close()
+    assert.are.equal(expected, claudecode.version:string())
+  end)
+
+  it("reads a prerelease from VERSION", function()
+    local version = load_copy(dir, "1.12.3-rc.1\n").version
+    assert.are.same({ 1, 12, 3, "rc.1" }, { version.major, version.minor, version.patch, version.prerelease })
+    assert.are.equal("1.12.3-rc.1", version:string())
+  end)
+
+  it("reports 0.0.0-unknown without a VERSION file", function()
+    assert.are.equal("0.0.0-unknown", load_copy(dir, nil).version:string())
+  end)
+end)