## How to update Hog to a new release
```{warning} Outdated Documentation!
    This documentation version is out of date. Please check the [latest version 2026.1](https://hog.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
```

This guide will help you to Update Hog to the version you want. We assume you already have a repository handled with Hog that is hosted on Cern Gitlab.

On your project's Gitlab website, create a new merge request and a new branch starting from master[^master].

[^master]:If you are already working on a branch on your HDL repository, you can update Hog within that branch.
(You can also create a new branch locally and open the merge request on the website later.)
Checkout the branch and go into the Hog directory.

Now if you want to update Hog to the latest version:

```bash
  cd Hog
  git checkout master
  git pull
```

Now do git describe to find out what version you got:

```bash
  git describe
```

You should obtain something like HogYYYY.n (e.g. Hog2020.1) or vX.Y.Z (e.g. v1.2.3).

If you want to update to a specific version, go to Hog [repository][gitlab.cern.ch/hog/Hog] and choose what version you want to update to, let's say you pick version vX.Y.Z.

```bash
  cd Hog
  git checkout vX.Y.Z
```

Now you have to update your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file. This is the file used to configure Gitlab continuous integration (CI), if you are not using  Gitlab CI -hence the file is not be there- you can skip this part.
Go back to your repo and edit the `.gitlab-ci.yml` with your favourite editor, say emacs:

```bash
  cd ..
  emacs .gitlab-ci.yml
```

At the beginning, in the include section you have a ref, similar to this:

```yaml
  include:
    - project: 'hog/Hog'
      file: '/hog.yml'
      ref: 'va.b.c'
```
In older Hog versions, the file used to be called `gitlab-ci.yml`, so if you were using an older version of Hog, please change `gitlab-ci.yml` to `hog.yml`. 
Change the ref to the new version you've just pulled:

```yaml
  include:
    - project: 'hog/Hog'
      file: '/hog.yml'
      ref: 'vX.Y.Z'
```

Save the file close the editor.

```{tip}
If you use the dynamic CI, the include section would look like 

```yaml
  include:
    - project: 'hog/Hog'
      file: '/hog-dynamic.yml'
      ref: 'vX.Y.Z'
```


Now you kist have to commit to git and push the modification you have made.
Add the modified files (`Hog` submodule and `.gitlab-ci.yml`), commit, and push:

```bash
  git add .gitlab-ci.yml Hog
  git commit -m "Update Hog to vX.Y.Z"
  git push
```

Finally go to your project's Gitlab website, open a merge request for your branch (if you have not done already) and merge it.