Product release announcement

release.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# Epic Workshop updates since v6.45.0
+
+Over the last couple of months we've shipped a lot of improvements to the Epic
+Workshop experience. This update highlights the biggest learner-facing changes
+since v6.45.0, grouped by theme rather than release order.
+
+## Tutorial-first onboarding
+
+- A new tutorial workshop (`epicshop-tutorial`) is now the default first run.
+  `epicshop init` clones it automatically and starts the tutorial, replacing the
+  old onboarding video with a hands-on walkthrough.
+- The onboarding flow now supports optional authentication, clearer prompts, and
+  a multi-select workshop picker so you can grab multiple workshops at once.
+- Onboarding indicators and guide content now point out key features (like Files
+  and Playground) the first time you encounter them, with a first-time "Set
+  Playground" dialog that prevents accidental overwrites.
+
+## Learning flow and practice
+
+- Interleaved practice mode adds a "practice a past lesson" button that jumps to
+  a random completed step to reinforce retention.
+- Finished pages now surface retrieval practice components so you can reflect on
+  what you just completed before moving on.
+- Extras navigation now flows directly from the final exercise into the extra
+  apps list, with consistent previous/next controls inside the extras section.
+- Exercise step headers and layouts were refined to avoid horizontal scrolling
+  and improve usability on narrow screens.
+- Keyboard shortcuts are now easier to discover with a dedicated navigation
+  button and clearer shortcuts dialog messaging.
+
+## Video learning experience (online and offline)
+
+- Offline video downloads are now available, with encrypted-at-rest storage,
+  per-video controls, and bulk download management from Preferences.
+- Download quality can be chosen (best/high/medium/low), and real-time progress
+  indicators show download status.
+- Video metadata is now fetched dynamically so duration and download sizes are
+  more accurate, and download URLs are more reliable.
+- Transcript parsing and duration estimates improve how the video player
+  represents timing, especially across long lessons.
+- Mermaid diagrams now render correctly in dark mode, improving readability for
+  embedded visuals.
+
+## Playgrounds and extras
+
+- Extras are now easier to discover with dedicated list and detail pages for
+  standalone extra apps.
+- Extras now have their own navigation sub-list and a "Set to Playground"
+  button, making it easy to explore and switch your playground target.
+- Saved playgrounds can be restored from a dedicated dialog, keeping your
+  previous experiments accessible without cluttering the main app chooser.
+- Playground UX also gains clearer first-time guidance and better indicators
+  when the current playground does not match the step you're on.
+
+## CLI and setup improvements
+
+- The CLI is now `epicshop`, with clearer, flatter command structure and
+  interactive selection for `diff` and `playground` when you do not pass args.
+- `epicshop add` supports `repo#ref` so you can clone a specific workshop
+  version, plus custom destination directories when you want to control where
+  the repo is checked out.
+- Setup flows now auto-detect your package manager and support configuration for
+  more predictable installs across npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun.
+- Update flows and dependency checks are smarter, with clearer prompts when a
+  workshop or dependency is out of date.
+- Windows-specific fixes make editor detection, command resolution, and clone
+  workflows more reliable.
+
+Examples:
+
+```bash
+# Run the guided first-time setup and start the tutorial workshop.
+epicshop init
+# Add the tutorial workshop later if you skipped it.
+epicshop add epicshop-tutorial
+# Clone a workshop at an exact version tag for consistency.
+epicshop add full-stack-foundations#v1.2.0
+# Clone a workshop into a custom directory.
+epicshop add web-forms --directory ~/my-workshops
+# See what workshops are available locally.
+epicshop list
+# Start the workshop app in the current workshop folder.
+epicshop start
+# Open the current workshop in your editor.
+epicshop open
+# Set the playground to a specific step with an interactive picker.
+epicshop playground set
+# Pick two apps to compare with an interactive diff picker.
+epicshop diff
+# Check for updates and apply them.
+epicshop update
+```
+
+## MCP server and AI assistant support
+
+- The MCP server now ships with clearer tool descriptions and responses, so AI
+  assistants can use it more efficiently and reliably.
+- New MCP tools can list and restore saved playgrounds, helping assistants keep
+  your learning state in sync.
+
+## Reliability and polish
+
+- Error boundaries and server-down states are more resilient, making the app
+  recover gracefully when something goes wrong.
+- Sidecar status indicators and admin controls make background tooling more
+  visible and manageable.
+- The Preferences page loads faster, and the account screen gives clearer cues
+  for editing your avatar.
+
+Thanks for learning with Epic Workshop, and keep the feedback coming!