# Local candidate check

Use `releasekit.Check` to verify a candidate against the current local
repository state:

```go
result, err := releasekit.Check(ctx, releasekit.ReleaseRequest{
	RepositoryDir: "/work/project",
	Product:       "Example",
	Version:       "v1.2.3",
	Validate: func(ctx context.Context, candidate releasekit.Candidate) error {
		return runProjectChecks(ctx, candidate.RepositoryDir)
	},
})
if err != nil {
	return err
}
fmt.Println(result.Version, result.Commit)
```

The repository must have a clean index and worktree on `main`, and the selected
version must be stable `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`. The committed
`docs/releases/<version>.md` note must have a first Markdown H1 containing the
product name and exact version as complete title elements. No local tag with
that version may already exist.

The callback receives the captured repository, commit, and version. ReleaseKit
calls it once. When omitted, ReleaseKit runs the offline Go test command. The
check revalidates the branch, commit, and cleanliness after validation.

A successful check is evidence about the local candidate only. It does not
check whether a remote branch or tag is available and does not create a tag.
The [`check` command](../cli.md) reads the product and optional validation
commands from `releasekit.json`.

## Publishing the source tag

`releasekit.Publish` uses the same request and performs candidate validation,
authoritative remote checks, annotated-tag creation, and an exact tag push. The
selected remote must publish `main` at the captured commit and must not already
contain the selected version tag. A successful result includes the endpoint and
tag object ID. Publication states distinguish an unattempted push, a tag that
was created locally but not pushed, a successful push, a guard conflict, and an
unresolved push error.

When a push reports an error, the local annotated tag is retained and the
result is `unknown` until a later implementation adds authoritative
reconciliation. Do not treat that state as success or proof that the remote
lacks the tag.