From 66fe1b81be50eaf917bc4602f01a62b7771b1c4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: MickLesk <47820557+MickLesk@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:47:22 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Use the designated release for a tag prefix when it
 carries the prefix

With a tag prefix, the lookup skipped the release the maintainer marked as
latest and sorted the last 100 releases instead. In a busy monorepo that
window is too short: maplibre/martin publishes about ten releases a week
across its crates, martin-v1.16.1 already sits at position 44, and the
lookup would have found no martin-v release within weeks.

The designated release is now used for a prefix too, as long as its tag
starts with that prefix. Another product's designated release still falls
back to the sorted list.
---
 lib/forge.func              | 10 +++++++---
 tests/forge-release-json.sh | 15 +++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/lib/forge.func b/lib/forge.func
index 291567c1..85f64701 100644
--- a/lib/forge.func
+++ b/lib/forge.func
@@ -1556,9 +1556,13 @@ _forge_release_json() {
     # The maintainer's own "latest" marking beats anything the tag strings can
     # tell us: it is what separates a release line from nightlies, betas and a
     # second product's tags in the same repo, none of which are reliably
-    # flagged prerelease. Only the unfiltered, stable case can use it.
-    if [[ -z "$tag_prefix" && "${GH_INCLUDE_PRERELEASE:-0}" != "1" ]] &&
-      _forge_designated_release "$forge" "$base" "$repo_path" "$out"; then
+    # flagged prerelease. Only the stable case can use it, and with a tag prefix
+    # only when that release carries the prefix: the list below holds the last
+    # 100 releases, and in a busy monorepo (martin) the release a prefix asks
+    # for drops out of that window within weeks.
+    if [[ "${GH_INCLUDE_PRERELEASE:-0}" != "1" ]] &&
+      _forge_designated_release "$forge" "$base" "$repo_path" "$out" &&
+      [[ -z "$tag_prefix" || "$(jq -r '.tag_name // ""' "$out" 2>/dev/null)" == "$tag_prefix"* ]]; then
       [[ "$forge" == "github" ]] && _forge_keep_raw "$out"
       return 0
     fi
diff --git a/tests/forge-release-json.sh b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
index 2cf4cc09..d59b1989 100644
--- a/tests/forge-release-json.sh
+++ b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
@@ -100,6 +100,21 @@ expect "the designated release still resolves" 0 "$?"
 expect "the designated release is used" v3.0.0 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"
 expect "only one request was needed" 1 "$(grep -c curl "$CALLS")"
 
+# martin: a prefix used to skip the designated release and sort the last 100,
+# where martin-v* drops out within weeks behind betas and other crates.
+prefixed() {
+  : >"$CALLS"
+  : >"$OUT"
+  _forge_release_json github maplibre/martin latest "martin-v" "$OUT"
+}
+MOCK_LATEST_CODE=200 MOCK_LATEST_BODY='{"tag_name":"martin-v1.16.1","draft":false,"prerelease":false}' \
+  MOCK_BODY='[{"tag_name":"mbtiles-v0.15.0","draft":false,"prerelease":false}]' prefixed
+expect "a prefix takes the designated release when it carries the prefix" martin-v1.16.1 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"
+expect "without asking for the list" 1 "$(grep -c curl "$CALLS")"
+MOCK_LATEST_CODE=200 MOCK_LATEST_BODY='{"tag_name":"mbtiles-v0.15.0","draft":false,"prerelease":false}' \
+  MOCK_BODY='[{"tag_name":"martin-v1.16.1","draft":false,"prerelease":false},{"tag_name":"mbtiles-v0.15.0","draft":false,"prerelease":false}]' prefixed
+expect "another product's designated release falls back to the list" martin-v1.16.1 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"
+
 # databasement: without jq the prefixed lookup read "no tags" and built a URL without a version.
 (
   ensure_dependencies() {

From 9f9045d9325ad780bc42a0dc29fc0b55855f1915 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: MickLesk <47820557+MickLesk@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2026 15:42:02 +0100
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Trim the comments to what a reader would get wrong

---
 lib/forge.func              | 5 +----
 tests/forge-release-json.sh | 2 --
 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/lib/forge.func b/lib/forge.func
index 85f64701..3b339441 100644
--- a/lib/forge.func
+++ b/lib/forge.func
@@ -1556,10 +1556,7 @@ _forge_release_json() {
     # The maintainer's own "latest" marking beats anything the tag strings can
     # tell us: it is what separates a release line from nightlies, betas and a
     # second product's tags in the same repo, none of which are reliably
-    # flagged prerelease. Only the stable case can use it, and with a tag prefix
-    # only when that release carries the prefix: the list below holds the last
-    # 100 releases, and in a busy monorepo (martin) the release a prefix asks
-    # for drops out of that window within weeks.
+    # flagged prerelease. Only the stable case can use it; a tag prefix only when that release carries it.
     if [[ "${GH_INCLUDE_PRERELEASE:-0}" != "1" ]] &&
       _forge_designated_release "$forge" "$base" "$repo_path" "$out" &&
       [[ -z "$tag_prefix" || "$(jq -r '.tag_name // ""' "$out" 2>/dev/null)" == "$tag_prefix"* ]]; then
diff --git a/tests/forge-release-json.sh b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
index d59b1989..ecc10822 100644
--- a/tests/forge-release-json.sh
+++ b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@ expect "the designated release still resolves" 0 "$?"
 expect "the designated release is used" v3.0.0 "$(jq -r .tag_name "$OUT")"
 expect "only one request was needed" 1 "$(grep -c curl "$CALLS")"
 
-# martin: a prefix used to skip the designated release and sort the last 100,
-# where martin-v* drops out within weeks behind betas and other crates.
 prefixed() {
   : >"$CALLS"
   : >"$OUT"