jh-RLI · Oct 13, 2026 · Oct 13, 2026 · Oct 13, 2026 · Oct 13, 2026 · Oct 13, 2026
diff --git a/RELEASE_PROCEDURE.md b/RELEASE_PROCEDURE.md
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ Before see How to
 1. Update the oeplatform/versions/changelogs/
    [`current.md`](https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform/oeplatform/blob/develop/versions/changelogs/current.md)
    (see the examples of previous releases)
+   - Write its `## Highlights`: three to five points for users. The platform's
+     "What's new" page, linked from the homepage, shows them without the version
+     number. A release without highlights (usually a patch) keeps the previous
+     release's highlights there.
    - Change filename to release version (x_x_x.md)
    - Copy template to `current.md`
    - Update version with `bumpversion --allow-dirty [minor|patch]`

diff --git a/REUSE.toml b/REUSE.toml
@@ -3572,6 +3572,7 @@ path = [
   "base/templates/base/_instance_stylesheets.html",
   "base/templates/base/_feedback.html",
   "base/templates/base/_notice.html",
+  "base/templates/base/whats_new.html",
   "theming/stock_tokens.scss",
   "theming/literal_scan.mjs",
 ]

diff --git a/base/helper.py b/base/helper.py
@@ -24,47 +24,34 @@
 SITE_ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 
 
-@lru_cache(maxsize=None)
-def read_version_changes() -> dict:
-    """read version and changes from changelog markdown
+CHANGELOG_DIR = os.path.join(SITE_ROOT, "..", "versions", "changelogs")
+RELEASED_CHANGELOG = re.compile(r"(\d+)_(\d+)_(\d+)\.md")
+HIGHLIGHTS = re.compile(r"^## Highlights[ \t]*\n(.*?)(?=^## |\Z)", re.M | re.S)
+COMMENT = re.compile(r"<!--.*?-->", re.S)
 
-    We use cache so it can stay in process memory and we dont have to read files
-    in every request. this only changes on a new release anyway, in which case
-    the process is restarted.
 
-    Returns:
-       dict: {"version": (major, minor, patch), "changes": changes}
-    """
-    os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
-    version_expr = r"^(?P<major>\d+)\.(?P<minor>\d+)+\.(?P<patch>\d+)$"
-    markdowner = markdown2.Markdown()
+@lru_cache(maxsize=None)
+def latest_release_highlights(directory=CHANGELOG_DIR) -> str:
+    """HTML of the newest released changelog's `## Highlights`, or "".
 
-    logger.info("READING VERSION file.")
-    try:
-        with open(
-            os.path.join(SITE_ROOT, "..", "VERSION"), encoding="utf-8"
-        ) as version_file:
-            text = version_file.read()
-            match = re.match(version_expr, text)
-            if not match:
-                raise ValueError(text)
-            major, minor, patch = match.groups()
-        with open(
-            os.path.join(
-                SITE_ROOT,
-                "..",
-                "versions/changelogs/%s_%s_%s.md" % (major, minor, patch),
-            ),
-            encoding="utf-8",
-        ) as change_file:
-            changes = markdowner.convert(
-                "\n".join(line for line in change_file.readlines())
-            )
-    except Exception:
-        logger.error("READING VERSION file.")
-        # probably because change_file is missing
-        major, minor, patch, changes = "", "", "", ""
-    return {"version": (major, minor, patch), "changes": changes}
+    A released changelog is named `<major>_<minor>_<patch>.md` (`current.md` is
+    the next release, not yet out). A release without highlights, as a patch
+    release usually is, is skipped. The version is deliberately not returned:
+    the platform's pages do not say which release it runs. Cached for the
+    process: changelogs only change with a release, which restarts it.
+    """
+    released = []
+    for name in os.listdir(directory):
+        match = RELEASED_CHANGELOG.fullmatch(name)
+        if match:
+            released.append((tuple(int(part) for part in match.groups()), name))
+    for _version, name in sorted(released, reverse=True):
+        with open(os.path.join(directory, name), encoding="utf-8") as file:
+            section = HIGHLIGHTS.search(file.read())
+        text = COMMENT.sub("", section.group(1)).strip() if section else ""
+        if text:
+            return markdown2.markdown(text)
+    return ""
 
 
 def get_json_content(path, json_id=None):

diff --git a/base/static/css/index-style.css b/base/static/css/index-style.css
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@
   padding: 24px 0;
 }
 
+.index-hero-news {
+  color: var(--oep-on-strong);
+}
+
+.index-hero-news:hover,
+.index-hero-news:focus-visible {
+  color: var(--oep-on-strong);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
 .index-hero-btn {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;

diff --git a/base/templates/base/index.html b/base/templates/base/index.html
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ <h3 class="index-footer-column-title">Resources</h3>
             <h3 class="index-footer-column-title">Platform</h3>
             <ul class="index-footer-link-list">
               <li><a href="{% url 'base:about' %}">About OEP</a></li>
+              <li><a href="{% url 'base:whats-new' %}">What's new</a></li>
               <li><a href="{% url 'base:contact' %}">Contact</a></li>
               <li><a href="{% url 'base:legal-privacy-policy' %}">Privacy</a></li>
               <li><a href="{% url 'base:legal-tou' %}">Terms</a></li>

diff --git a/base/templates/base/whats_new.html b/base/templates/base/whats_new.html
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{% extends "base/base.html" %}
+{% load static %}
+{% block site-header %}
+  {% url 'base:home' as home_url %}
+  {% include "components/page_header.html" with area="About" icon="icons/area_about.html" crumb_label="Home" crumb_url=home_url title="What's new" description="What changed for you in the platform's latest release." %}
+{% endblock site-header %}
+{% block after-head %}
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="{% static 'css/static_pages.css' %}" />
+{% endblock after-head %}
+{% block main-content-body %}
+  <div class="reading-column">
+    {% if highlights %}
+      {# The changelogs are written in this repository, so their HTML is trusted. #}
+      {{ highlights|safe }}
+    {% else %}
+      {% include "components/empty_state.html" with text="No release highlights yet." %}
+    {% endif %}
+  </div>
+{% endblock main-content-body %}
diff --git a/base/templates/homepage/hero.html b/base/templates/homepage/hero.html
@@ -28,5 +28,12 @@ <h1 class="index-hero-title">
       <a class="index-hero-btn index-hero-btn-outline"
          href="{{ EXTERNAL_URLS.mkdocs }}">View Documentation</a>
     </div>
+    {% if highlights %}
+      <a class="link-with-arrow index-hero-news"
+         href="{% url 'base:whats-new' %}">
+        <span>See what's new</span>
+        {% include "icons/arrow_right.html" %}
+      </a>
+    {% endif %}
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/base/tests/test_page_lint.py b/base/tests/test_page_lint.py
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ def label(self):
     # are #2641's below too)
     Page("base:about"),
     Page("base:oefamily-sc"),
+    Page("base:whats-new"),
     Page("base:legal-privacy-policy"),
     Page("base:legal-tou"),
     Page("base:faq"),

diff --git a/base/tests/test_views.py b/base/tests/test_views.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ def test_views(self):
         self.get("base:legal-tou")
         self.get("base:robots")
         self.get("base:tutorials")
+        self.get("base:whats-new")
         self.get("base:project_detail", kwargs={"project_id": "sirop"})
 
     def test_urls_in_templates(self):

diff --git a/base/tests/test_whats_new.py b/base/tests/test_whats_new.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""The "What's new" page (#2382): the newest released changelog's `## Highlights`.
+
+SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Jonas Huber <https://github.com/jh-RLI> © Reiner Lemoine Institut
+SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+"""  # noqa: 501
+
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest import mock
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.test import SimpleTestCase, TestCase
+from django.urls import reverse
+
+from base.helper import latest_release_highlights
+
+CHANGELOG = """# Changes to the oeplatform code
+
+## Highlights
+
+{}
+
+## Changes
+
+- an internal change users never see
+"""
+
+HIGHLIGHTS = "<ul><li>Datasets start as drafts</li></ul>"
+VERSION = Path(settings.BASE_DIR, "VERSION").read_text().strip()
+
+
+class LatestReleaseHighlightsTest(SimpleTestCase):
+    def highlights(self, **files):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
+            for name, highlights in files.items():
+                Path(directory, name).write_text(CHANGELOG.format(highlights))
+            # The cache keys on the directory, and every one here is new.
+            return latest_release_highlights(directory)
+
+    def test_the_newest_release_by_number_wins(self):
+        html = self.highlights(
+            **{"1_9_0.md": "- nine", "1_10_0.md": "- ten", "1_2_0.md": "- two"}
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(html.strip(), "<ul>\n<li>ten</li>\n</ul>")
+
+    def test_only_the_highlights_section_is_shown(self):
+        html = self.highlights(**{"1_10_0.md": "- **New** list"})
+        self.assertEqual(
+            html.strip(), "<ul>\n<li><strong>New</strong> list</li>\n</ul>"
+        )
+
+    def test_a_release_without_highlights_is_skipped(self):
+        html = self.highlights(
+            **{
+                "1_10_0.md": "- ten",
+                "1_10_1.md": "",
+                "1_10_2.md": "<!-- the template's comment, never filled -->",
+            }
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(html.strip(), "<ul>\n<li>ten</li>\n</ul>")
+
+    def test_the_next_release_is_not_out_yet(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.highlights(**{"current.md": "- coming"}), "")
+
+
+class WhatsNewPagesTest(TestCase):
+    def get(self, name, highlights):
+        with mock.patch(
+            "base.views.latest_release_highlights", return_value=highlights
+        ):
+            return self.client.get(reverse(name)).content.decode()
+
+    def test_the_page_shows_the_highlights(self):
+        page = self.get("base:whats-new", HIGHLIGHTS)
+        self.assertIn("<li>Datasets start as drafts</li>", page)
+
+    def test_the_page_without_highlights_says_so(self):
+        self.assertIn("No release highlights yet.", self.get("base:whats-new", ""))
+
+    def test_the_homepage_links_the_page_when_there_is_news(self):
+        self.assertIn("See what's new", self.get("base:home", HIGHLIGHTS))
+        self.assertNotIn("See what's new", self.get("base:home", ""))
+
+    def test_no_page_names_the_running_release(self):
+        # The pages do not tell a visitor which release production runs.
+        for name in ("base:home", "base:whats-new"):
+            self.assertNotIn(VERSION, self.get(name, HIGHLIGHTS), name)
diff --git a/base/urls.py b/base/urls.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     redirect_tutorial_view,
     reverse_url_view,
     robot_view,
+    whats_new_view,
 )
 
 app_name = "base"
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
         name="project_detail",
     ),
     re_path(r"^contact/$", ContactView.as_view(), name="contact"),
+    path("whats-new/", whats_new_view, name="whats-new"),
     re_path(r"^faq/$", redir_view, {"target": "faq"}, name="faq"),
     re_path(r"^discussion/$", redir_view, {"target": "discussion"}, name="discussion"),
     re_path(

diff --git a/base/views.py b/base/views.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 from django.views.generic import View
 
 from base.forms import ContactForm
-from base.helper import get_json_content, read_version_changes
+from base.helper import get_json_content, latest_release_highlights
 from oeplatform.settings import (
     CONTACT_ADDRESSES,
     DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL,
@@ -34,8 +34,13 @@
 
 class WelcomeView(View):
     def get(self, request):
-        context = read_version_changes()
-        return render(request, "base/index.html", context)
+        highlights = latest_release_highlights()
+        return render(request, "base/index.html", {"highlights": highlights})
+
+
+def whats_new_view(request):
+    highlights = latest_release_highlights()
+    return render(request, "base/whats_new.html", {"highlights": highlights})
 
 
 def redir_view(request, target):

diff --git a/versions/changelogs/current.md b/versions/changelogs/current.md
@@ -10,6 +10,25 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
 # Changes to the oeplatform code
 
+## Highlights
+
+<!--
+Three to five short points for users, shown on the platform's "What's new"
+page (base:whats-new) and linked from the homepage, without the version number.
+Plain words, no internals. Left empty (as in a patch release), the page keeps
+the previous release's highlights.
+-->
+
+- **A new homepage and a consistent look:** the start page is redesigned, and
+  pages across the platform share the same buttons, forms, cards and headers.
+- **All your tables in one list:** the tables tab of your dashboard shows drafts
+  and published tables together, with filters, sorting and actions on many
+  tables at once.
+- **Manage access in place:** see and change who can access a table from a side
+  drawer in the tables tab.
+- **Datasets start as drafts:** a dataset is published when it is ready, and the
+  new datasets tab manages your datasets and their tables.
+
 ## Changes
 
 - The profile is edited in place on Settings: Edit turns the Manage Profile card
@@ -722,6 +741,11 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
   recent problems with the platform to write via the contact form; the band
   lives in `base/templates/base/_notice.html`, which is emptied to retire it
 
+- A "What's new" page shows the latest release's highlights for users, linked
+  from the homepage's hero and footer, without naming the version. A changelog's
+  new `## Highlights` section is its source
+  [(#2382)](https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform/oeplatform/issues/2382)
+
 ## Bugs
 
 - The Edit button in a table page's tag chooser opens the tag manager instead of

diff --git a/versions/changelogs/current.template.md b/versions/changelogs/current.template.md
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
 # Changes to the oeplatform code
 
+## Highlights
+
+<!--
+Three to five short points for users, shown on the platform's "What's new"
+page (base:whats-new) and linked from the homepage, without the version number.
+Plain words, no internals. Left empty (as in a patch release), the page keeps
+the previous release's highlights.
+-->
+
 ## Changes
 
 ## Features