Fix GitHub Actions deprecation warning for set-output command

[Copilot]

Problem

The repository was generating deprecation warnings during GitHub Actions workflow runs due to the use of the deprecated ::set-output command:

The `set-output` command is deprecated and will be disabled soon. Please upgrade to using Environment Files. For more information see: https://github.blog/changelog/2022-10-11-github-actions-deprecating-save-state-and-set-output-commands/

Root Cause

The warning was caused by the actions/create-release@v1 action in the release workflow, which internally uses the deprecated ::set-output command. This action has been deprecated and is no longer maintained.

Solution

Replaced the deprecated actions/create-release@v1 action with the modern GitHub CLI (gh) approach:

Before:

- name: Create GitHub Release
  uses: actions/create-release@v1
  env:
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
  with:
    tag_name: v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}
    release_name: Release v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}
    body: |
      ## Changes in v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}
      ...
    draft: false
    prerelease: ${{ contains(env.NEW_VERSION, '-') }}

After:

- name: Create GitHub Release
  env:
    GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
  run: |
    # Create release notes
    cat > release_notes.md << 'EOF'
    ## Changes in v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}
    ...
    EOF
    
    # Create the release
    if [[ "${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}" == *"-"* ]]; then
      gh release create "v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}" \
        --title "Release v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}" \
        --notes-file release_notes.md \
        --prerelease
    else
      gh release create "v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}" \
        --title "Release v${{ env.NEW_VERSION }}" \
        --notes-file release_notes.md
    fi

Benefits

• ✅ Eliminates the deprecation warning completely
• ✅ Uses modern, actively maintained GitHub CLI
• ✅ Maintains identical functionality including prerelease detection
• ✅ No additional dependencies (GitHub CLI is pre-installed in runners)
• ✅ More direct API interaction without deprecated intermediary actions

Testing

• Verified YAML syntax is valid
• Confirmed all existing functionality is preserved
• Validated that no other deprecated commands remain in the workflows
• Ensured build and test processes continue to work correctly

This change future-proofs the release workflow by removing the last deprecated GitHub Actions command usage.

---

💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.