Improved release script

Now all the steps are guided

release.sh

+#! /bin/bash
+
+# use this script to make a new release
+# just type ./release.sh
+# and follow instructions
+
+confirm () {
+    # call with a prompt string or use a default
+    read -r -p "${1:-Are you sure? [y/N]} " response
+    case $response in
+        [yY][eE][sS]|[yY]) 
+            true
+            ;;
+        *)
+            false
+            ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+VALIDATED=
+if [ "$1" = --validated ] ; then
+  VALIDATED=yes
+fi
+
+
+echo "*** Only use this script if you want to release a new PLUMED version ***"
+echo "*** follow instructions below ***"
+
+ls src README 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null ||  {
+  echo "Launch from root directory"
+  exit 1
+}
+
+read -r -p "Type the version number (e.g. 2.1.3 or 2.2b): " version
+
+case "$version" in
+(2.?*)
+  version="${version#2.}"
+  ;;
+(*)
+  echo "ERROR"
+  echo "Use a version in form 2.*"
+  exit 1
+  ;;
+esac
+
+shortversion=$(echo "$version" | sed  's/^\([0-9][0-9]*\).*/\1/' )
+
+version=2.$version
+shortversion=2.$shortversion
+
+echo "major version v$shortversion"
+echo "minor version v$version"
+
+if test $version == $shortversion ; then
+  echo "ERROR"
+  echo "please add a patch identified so that tag and branch have different names"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if test "$(git tag -l | awk '{if($1=="'v$version'")print "yes"}')" == yes ; then
+  echo "tag v$version already exists"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+set -e
+if ! test "$VALIDATED" ; then
+  echo "checking out branch v$shortversion"
+  git checkout v$shortversion
+  echo 
+  msg="Travis tests for v$version
+
+[makedoc]"
+  echo "Now I will add an empty commit and push the result to origin"
+  echo "I will use the following commands:"
+  echo "***"
+  echo "git commit --allow-empty -m \"$msg\""
+  echo "git push origin v$shortversion"
+  echo "***"
+  confirm || exit
+  git commit --allow-empty -m "$msg"
+  git push origin v$shortversion
+  echo
+  echo "Now you should go at this link:"
+  echo "  http://travis-ci.org/plumed/plumed2/builds"
+  echo "and wait for travis to finish the tests"
+  echo "In case of failures, fix and repeat the procedure"
+  echo "Also check the online manual, that should be here:"
+  echo "  http://plumed.github.io/doc-v$shortversion"
+  echo "In case of success, relaunch this script as \"./release.sh --validated\""
+else
+  echo "Updating VERSION file to $version"
+  {
+    grep  \# VERSION 
+    echo $version
+  } > VERSION.tmp
+  mv VERSION.tmp VERSION
+  git add VERSION
+  msg="Release v$version
+
+[makedoc]"
+  echo "Now I will make the release commit, add a tag named v$version"
+  echo "push it to origin and create a tgz file"
+  echo "I will use the following commands:"
+  echo "***"
+  echo "git commit --allow-empty -m \"$msg\""
+  echo "git tag v$version"
+  echo "git push origin v$version"
+  echo "git archive -o plumed-$version.tgz --prefix plumed-$version/ v$version"
+  echo "***"
+  confirm || exit
+  git commit --allow-empty -m "$msg"
+  git tag v$version
+  git push origin v$version
+  git archive -o plumed-$version.tgz --prefix plumed-$version/ v$version
+  echo
+  echo "Done!"
+  echo
+  echo "Please upload the file plumed-$version.tgz on the download directory"
+  echo "Remember to notify the mailing list"
+fi
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

src/release.sh

-#! /bin/bash
-
-if [ "$1" = --description ] ; then
-  echo "create a tgz file containing a plumed release, only works from git repository"
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-if [ $# != 1 ] ;
-then
-  echo "Syntax:"
-  echo "release.sh 2.0"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
-version=$1
-
-case "$version" in
-(2.?*)
-  version="${version#2.}"
-  ;;
-(*)
-  echo "ERROR"
-  echo "Use a version in form 2.*"
-  exit 1
-  ;;
-esac
-
-ls src README 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null ||  {
-  echo "Launch from root directory"
-  exit 1
-}
-
-shortversion=$(echo "$version" | sed  's/^\([0-9][0-9]*\).*/\1/' )
-
-echo "Version: 2.$version"
-echo "Short version: 2.$shortversion"
-
-VERSION="
-LONG: v2.$version
-SHORT: v2.$shortversion
-"
-
-git archive -o plumed-2.$version.tgz --prefix plumed-2.$version/ v2.$version
-
-