feat: Add release and deployment documentation; update pixi.lock for …

…dependencies and versions

docs/contributing/.pages

@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ nav:
     - ...
     - reviews.md
     - merging_pr.md
+    - release_deployment.md
     - submitting_issues.md

docs/contributing/release_deployment.md

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Release and Deployment
+
+## Introduction
+
+The handbook website is hosted on [GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com/).
+This document provides a detailed overview of how the deployment and release
+processes work, ensuring a smooth and automated workflow.
+
+## GitHub Pages
+
+GitHub Pages is a service that allows you to host static websites directly
+from your GitHub repository.
+
+### How It Works
+
+Whenever changes are pushed to the `main` branch, a
+[GitHub Action](https://github.com/features/actions) is triggered to
+automatically build and deploy the website.
+
+You can view the build and deployment action at
+[this link](https://github.com/bhklab/handbook/actions/workflows/main.yaml).
+
+The automated workflow includes the following steps:
+
+1. **Check Out the Repository**: The GitHub Action checks out the latest code
+   from the `main` branch.
+2. **Install Dependencies**: Dependencies specified in the `pixi.toml` file
+   are installed.
+3. **Build the Documentation**: The action builds the site using MkDocs and
+   the configurations defined in your project.
+4. **Deploy to GitHub Pages**: The compiled site is deployed to the `gh-pages`
+   branch.
+
+Once the `gh-pages` branch is updated, GitHub Pages will automatically publish
+the latest version of the website.
+
+## Releases
+
+Even though this project primarily uses MkDocs, we leverage
+[release-please](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please) to automate the
+release process, making it easier to maintain version control and changelogs.
+
+### How It Works
+
+When a pull request is merged into the `main` branch, a
+[GitHub Action](https://github.com/features/actions) triggers the release
+process.
+
+You can view the release automation action at
+[this link](https://github.com/bhklab/handbook/actions/workflows/release-please.yaml).
+
+Key benefits of using `release-please` include:
+
+- **Automated Release Creation**: The tool automatically generates a release
+  with changelogs and updates the version number based on the changes merged
+  into `main`.
+- **Dynamic Pull Request Updates**: If additional changes are pushed to the
+  `main` branch after a pull request is created, the release PR will update to
+  include those changes, ensuring that the release captures all intended
+  updates.
+- **Controlled Release Process**: Maintainers can merge changes into the
+  release PR only when they are ready to publish a new version, giving them
+  full control over the timing of each release.
+
+This automated approach ensures consistency and reduces the manual effort
+required to manage releases.