Meltano

🐛 Fixes

- [8379](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8379) `--from-ref` for a plugin definition missing a `variant` -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_

📚 Documentation Improvements

- [8378](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8378) Mention `--from-ref` in the custom extractor guide -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_

✨ New

- [8351](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8351) Warn if select rules are not used on catalog -- _**Thanks haleemur!**_
- [8176](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8176) Add new `--update` flag to `meltano add` to re-add plugins to a project -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_
- [7874](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/7874) Add setting `sensitive` flag -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_

🐛 Fixes

- [8365](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8365) Retain stderr in `meltano config <plugin> test` -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_
- [8354](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8354) Emit pip installation errors

⚡ Performance Improvements

- [8343](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8343) Cache `Project.dotenv_env`

📚 Documentation Improvements

- [8306](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8306) Add changelog updates

✨ New

- [8258](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8258) Add a `--merge-state` flag to `meltano run` to merge the current pipeline state with that of the latest run
- [8268](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8268) Expand environment variables in array setting values

🐛 Fixes

- [8301](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8301) Interactive config now indicates that you're typing a redacted value -- _**Thanks abastola0!**_

✨ New

- [8184](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8184) Log Meltano version and Operating System at invocation of CLI -- _**Thanks ashu565!**_
- [8228](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8228) Support setting configuration from files and STDIN -- _**Thanks XshubhamX!**_
- [8194](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8194) Allow escaping stream names with periods in `select` rules
- [8241](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8241) Support Python 3.12
- [8215](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8215) Support authenticating to Azure state backend without a connection string -- _**Thanks XshubhamX!**_

🐛 Fixes

- [8249](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8249) Display special characters in column names in the output of `meltano select --list`
- [8227](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8227) Validate input to settings with `kind: options`
- [8232](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8232) Interval validation for `meltano schedule set` -- _**Thanks XshubhamX!**_
- [8225](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8225) Redirect tap's stderr to /dev/null during a configuration test -- _**Thanks raiatul14!**_

📚 Documentation Improvements

- [8267](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8267) Add Q4 Changelog
- [8260](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8260) Add information about database schema destination -- _**Thanks EChaffraix!**_
- [8259](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8259) Fix links in v3 migration guide
- [8251](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8251) Fix dbt model in part3.mdx -- _**Thanks diegoquintanav!**_
- [8214](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8214) Document other supported ways of configuring an S3 endpoint URL
- [8211](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8211) Sync sidebar order with index page link-lists, remove broken /index links -- _**Thanks mjsqu!**_
- [8209](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8209) Remove broken link (reference/index) and order links to match sidebar -- _**Thanks mjsqu!**_
- [8210](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8210) Add tabs for all remaining env/cli/config settings -- _**Thanks mjsqu!**_
- [8201](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8201) Use tabs for examples on settings page -- _**Thanks mjsqu!**_
- [8200](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8200) Update contribution guidelines -- _**Thanks mjsqu!**_
- [8155](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8155) Add september changelog

✨ New

- [8169](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8169) Added `--force-install` CLI flag for meltano `add` command. -- _**Thanks XshubhamX!**_
- [8145](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8145) Save pip logs to a file in the system directory
- [7907](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/7907) Add plugin from ref -- _**Thanks ReubenFrankel!**_

🐛 Fixes

- [8179](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8179) Removed the `--verbose` option from CLI, which no longer had any effect -- _**Thanks arorarohan981!**_
- [8044](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8044) Better error message when Azure connection string is missing
- [8115](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8115) Do not perform destructive state ops when answering 'no' in prompt

📚 Documentation Improvements

- [8178](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8178) Top-level ordered lists are now rendered correctly in docs
- [8156](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8156) Added docs for --cwd CLI option -- _**Thanks XshubhamX!**_
- [8143](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8143) Remove Cloud announcement banner
- [8113](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8113) Update Cloud "Getting Started" guide to include the lock command
- [8111](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8111) Add example of database URI for SQL Server -- _**Thanks wesseljt!**_
- [8087](https://github.com/meltano/meltano/issues/8087) Add cloud state command