Show Kata What's New

VerifiedSafe

Displays changelog entries between the installed version and the latest available version, compares versions, and provides update instructions. Useful for quickly reviewing recent changes and deciding whether to update.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentIntermediate
606/2/2026
Claude Code
#kata#whats-new#changelog#version-check

Recommended for

Our review

Displays changes between the installed version of Kata and the latest available version, including changelog entries and update instructions.

Strengths

  • Clear version comparison with prominent highlighting of breaking changes.
  • Fetches remote changelog with graceful local fallback.
  • Provides update instructions directly.
  • Surfaces breaking changes prominently with **BREAKING:** prefix.

Limitations

  • Only works for the Kata plugin, not other tools.
  • Requires internet for remote changelog (falls back to local).
  • Depends on the VERSION file existing for comparison.
When to use it

When you want to check if there are updates for the Kata plugin and see what changed.

When not to use it

When you need to update other plugins or non-Kata tools, or if you are looking for general system changes.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score92/100

The skill only reads local files (VERSION, CHANGELOG.md) using safe bash commands. No external network calls are made via shell; the WebFetch tool reference is safe and non-destructive. No destructive actions, exfiltration, or obfuscation. Safe for execution.

No concerns found

Examples

Check for Kata updates
What's new in Kata?
Show changelog
Show the Kata changelog
Recent changes
What changed in Kata recently?

name: kata-whats-new description: Show what's new in Kata since the installed version, displaying changelog entries, checking for Kata updates, or reviewing recent changes. Triggers include "what's new", "whats new", "show changes", "changelog", "recent changes", and "what changed". metadata: version: "0.1.0" allowed-tools: Read Write Bash

<objective> Display changes between installed version and latest available version.

Shows version comparison, changelog entries for missed versions, and update instructions. </objective>

<process> <step name="get_installed_version"> Read installed version from VERSION file (checking plugin context first):
if [ -n "$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT" ]; then
  cat "$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/VERSION" 2>/dev/null
fi

If VERSION file missing:

## Kata What's New

**Installed version:** Unknown

Your installation doesn't include version tracking.

**To reinstall:**
`/plugin install kata@kata-marketplace`

STOP here if no VERSION file. </step>

<step name="fetch_remote_changelog"> Fetch latest CHANGELOG.md from GitHub:

Use WebFetch tool with:

  • URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gannonh/kata/refs/heads/main/CHANGELOG.md
  • Prompt: "Extract all version entries with their dates and changes. Return in Keep-a-Changelog format."

If fetch fails: Fall back to local changelog:

cat "$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/CHANGELOG.md" 2>/dev/null

Note to user: "Couldn't check for updates (offline or GitHub unavailable). Showing local changelog." </step>

<step name="parse_versions"> From the remote (or local) changelog:
  1. Extract latest version - First ## [X.Y.Z] line after ## [Unreleased]
  2. Compare with installed - From VERSION file
  3. Extract entries between - All version sections from latest down to (but not including) installed

Version comparison:

  • If installed == latest: "You're on the latest version"
  • If installed < latest: Show changes since installed version
  • If installed > latest: "You're ahead of latest release (development version?)" </step>
<step name="display_output"> Format output clearly:

If up to date:

## Kata What's New

**Installed:** 1.4.26
**Latest:** 1.4.26

You're on the latest version.

[View full changelog](https://github.com/gannnonh/kata/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)

If updates available:

## Kata What's New

**Installed:** 1.4.23
**Latest:** 1.4.26

---

### Changes since your version:

## [1.4.26] - 2026-01-20

### Added
- Feature X
- Feature Y

### Changed
- **BREAKING:** Changed Z behavior

## [1.4.25] - 2026-01-18

### Fixed
- Bug in feature A

---

[View full changelog](https://github.com/gannnonh/kata/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)

**To update:**
`/plugin update kata@kata-marketplace`

Breaking changes: Surface prominently with BREAKING: prefix in the output. </step>

</process>

<success_criteria>

  • [ ] Installed version read from VERSION file
  • [ ] Remote changelog fetched (or graceful fallback to local)
  • [ ] Version comparison displayed clearly
  • [ ] Changes since installed version shown (if any)
  • [ ] Update instructions provided when behind </success_criteria>
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