Important steps to take before a release:
=========================================

#1 Preparation
- Clean up the repository: Update the pinmame folder, remove sticky tags, commit tested changes.
- check "whatsnew.txt" if nobody was forgotten concerning contributions, bugs fixes, and so on.
- check the date, year and version in all .txt files!
  (bugs.txt, license.txt (and its copy LICENSE), pinmame.txt (and its derived README.md), visual pinmame.txt, whatsnew.txt, whatsnewVPM.txt)
- remove the DEBUG define in the makefile (which is probably not there anyway)!
- edit "src/version.h" for the correct version number
- edit "src/ui/PinMAME32.rc" for the correct version number and copyright years
- edit "src/win32com/VPinMAME.cpp" for the expiration date (=next desired release date) (currently: none)
- edit "src/win32com/VPinMAME.rc" for the correct version number, copyright years and build (MinDependency)
- edit "src/windows/fronthlp.c" for the YEAR_END definition and copyright years
- (Only necessary if the installer has changed)
   - edit "src/instvpm/InstallVPinMAME.rc" for the correct version number and build (Release)
   - build InstallVPinMAME.exe
- commit changes

#2 Build
- export EVERYTHING again in an empty(!) separate folder. Only this way you may ensure nothing was forgotten!
  (use "release_export_current_source.bat X:\Path\To\Empty\Folder" or just drag the empty folder onto it)
- execute "mingw32-make" to build PinMAME.
- Make sure to regenerate gamelist and include it (It's regenerated automatically when building PinMAME, for list including all clones use options '-gamelist -sortname' instead)
- execute "mingw32-make WINUI=1 SUFFIX=32" to build PinMAME32.
- build VPinMAME.DLL (at least)
- optionally: do revision tests for compilation with all supported environments (MinGW/GCC, etc.)

#3 Tag repository
- Tag the new version

#4 Create zip packages
- Pack everything together nicely, using max. compression
- Make sure all default folders are included in the VPM zip
  (these are: artwork, cfg, hi, ini, inp, memcard, nvram, roms, samples, snap, sta, wave)
- Make sure license is in all released zips

If anything of the above fails, forget about a release and correct the errors first!
If it worked out ok, however, do a release!

#5 Release
- Upload the zips to github
- Release it to VPForums' upload page, and tell all the forum people what has happened!
- Shut down your computer! Go and have a drink. You deserve one now!
- 12 hours later, check back the forum for the first terrible errors we forgot to fix!

:)



Revision tests for compilation:
===============================
At least test MSVC 2015 as this is used for the release build.


Revision tests for emulated hardware platforms:
===============================================
* ...
