prepare release v1.4.4

[suketa]

Summary by CodeRabbit

• New Features

  • Enhanced data type support for improved compatibility and better overall performance
  • Memory optimization helpers for improved resource management and efficiency
  • Improved table function capabilities with enhanced performance characteristics
  • Extended API additions providing broader functionality and integration options

• Chores

  • Version 1.4.4.0 released with significant improvements and updates
  • Updated dependencies to Ruby 4.0.1 and DuckDB 1.4.4

[coderabbitai]

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

This PR prepares a new release of the ruby-duckdb gem, updating the version from 1.4.3.0 to 1.4.4.0 and bumping the Ruby build dependency from 4.0.0 to 4.0.1. Supporting changes include updating the changelog with release notes for new features and fixes.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Version Bump lib/duckdb/version.rb, Dockerfile	Updated gem VERSION constant and Docker DUCKDB_VERSION build argument from 1.4.3/1.4.3.0 to 1.4.4/1.4.4.0. Also incremented RUBY_VERSION in Dockerfile from 4.0.0 to 4.0.1.
Release Notes CHANGELOG.md	Added new Unreleased entry for version 1.4.4.0 dated 2026-03-07 documenting new features, data type support, memory helpers, table function improvements, and various API additions.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 1 (Trivial) | ⏱️ ~2 minutes

Possibly related PRs

• prepare to release 1.2.1.0 #929: Same release-preparation pattern updating CHANGELOG, Dockerfile DUCKDB_VERSION, and lib/duckdb/version.rb.
• prepare release 1.4.2.0 #993: Release-preparation changes modifying the same three files (CHANGELOG.md, Dockerfile ARGs, and lib/duckdb/version.rb).
• prepare release 1.4.3.0 #995: Release-bump changes to CHANGELOG.md, Dockerfile DUCKDB_VERSION, and lib/duckdb/version.rb VERSION constant.

Poem

🐰 Hop along, version 1.4.4 is here!
Ruby 4.0.1 brings the cheer,
DuckDB dances through release notes so bright,
Dependencies gleaming, everything right!
A changelog entry, a version so new—
Let's ship this gem, 'tis time to debut! 🚀

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3

✅ Passed checks (3 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title 'prepare release v1.4.4' directly and clearly describes the main objective of the changeset, which is to prepare the release for version 1.4.4 by updating version numbers across multiple files and documenting changes in the changelog.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

_{✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.}

✨ Finishing Touches

• 📝 Generate docstrings (stacked PR)
• 📝 Generate docstrings (commit on current branch)

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Post copyable unit tests in a comment
• Commit unit tests in branch prepare_release

---

Thanks for using CodeRabbit! It's free for OSS, and your support helps us grow. If you like it, consider giving us a shout-out.

❤️ Share

• X
• Mastodon
• Reddit
• LinkedIn

_{Comment @coderabbitai help to get the list of available commands and usage tips.}

[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 1

🤖 Prompt for all review comments with AI agents

Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

Inline comments:
In `@CHANGELOG.md`:
- Line 7: The changelog header "# 1.4.4.0 - 2026-03-07" has the wrong release
date; update that header to match the actual tag/merge date (e.g., change
"2026-03-07" to "2026-03-06") or replace the date with a placeholder like
"Unreleased" and ensure it is set to the tag date when cutting the release;
locate and edit the header line "# 1.4.4.0 - 2026-03-07" accordingly.

---

ℹ️ Review info

⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: 87cfbee2-709e-467e-a791-6f983d98f60a

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 5b0a480 and 3a4aeae.

⛔ Files ignored due to path filters (1)

• Gemfile.lock is excluded by !**/*.lock

📒 Files selected for processing (3)

• CHANGELOG.md
• Dockerfile
• lib/duckdb/version.rb

[coderabbitai]

⚠️ Potential issue | 🟡 Minor

Keep the release date aligned with the actual tag date.

This header is dated 2026-03-07, while the PR was opened on 2026-03-06. If the release slips or is cut earlier, the changelog will be wrong on publish, so I'd update this on merge/tag day.

🤖 Prompt for AI Agents

Verify each finding against the current code and only fix it if needed.

In `@CHANGELOG.md` at line 7, The changelog header "# 1.4.4.0 - 2026-03-07" has
the wrong release date; update that header to match the actual tag/merge date
(e.g., change "2026-03-07" to "2026-03-06") or replace the date with a
placeholder like "Unreleased" and ensure it is set to the tag date when cutting
the release; locate and edit the header line "# 1.4.4.0 - 2026-03-07"
accordingly.