chore: Release 0.1.8

[exploreriii]

What's Changed in 0.1.8

GUIDES

• docs: Add guide for joining Hiero Discord (Add docs/discord.md #614) by @Rishabh1925 in docs: Add guide for joining Hiero Discord (#614) #620
• docs: Final submission of PR self-review checklist (Expand docs/sdk_developers/checklist.md with how to double check your own pull requests #645) by @Rishabh1925 in docs: Final submission of PR self-review checklist (#645) #687
• docs: Add Table of Contents and consolidated guide to signing.md (Add Warning Section and Table of Contents to docs/sdk_developers/signing.md #455) by @Rishabh1925 in docs: Add Table of Contents and consolidated guide to signing.md (#455) #692
• docs: create project_structure.md by @Pranay22077 in docs: create project_structure.md #725
• docs: add pylance setup and usage guide for SDK developers by @Raja-89 in docs: add pylance setup and usage guide for SDK developers #718
• chore: Move common_issues.md to docs/sdk_developers for unified documentation (Move examples/sdk_developers/common_issues.md to docs/sdk_developers/common_issues.md #516) by @Rishabh1925 in chore: Move common_issues.md to docs/sdk_developers for unified documentation (#516) #644

DOCSTRINGS

• docs: Add docstrings to account/account_info.py (docs: Add Missing Docstrings to src/hiero_sdk_python/account/account_info.py #562) by @Pranay22077 in docs: Add docstrings to account/account_info.py (#562) #625
• docs: Add complete Google-style docstrings to Logger module (docs: Add comprehensive Google-style docstrings to src/hiero_sdk_python/logger/logger.py #639) by @Raja-89 in docs: Add complete Google-style docstrings to Logger module (#639) #641
• docs: Add Google-style docstrings to contract_id.py by @Rachitb0611 in docs: Add Google-style docstrings to contract_id.py #642
• docs: Add Google-style docstrings to token_id.py by @Pranay22077 in docs: Add Google-style docstrings to token_id.py #636
• docs: add Google-style docstrings to TransactionRecord by @DinethShakya23 in docs: add Google-style docstrings to TransactionRecord #711
• chore: Add module, class, and method docstrings to custom_fee.py by @CynthiaFotso in chore: Add module, class, and method docstrings to custom_fee.py #696

SECURITY

• chore: [StepSecurity] Apply security best practices by @stepsecurity-app[bot] in chore: [StepSecurity] Apply security best practices #634
• chore: update workflow packages by @exploreriii in chore: update workflow packages #510
• chore: one dependabot alerts PR to fix them all by @nadineloepfe in chore: one dependabot alerts PR to fix them all #728

WORKFLOWS

• chore: add read permissions to examples workflow by @exploreriii in chore: add read permissions to examples workflow #622
• chore: fix examples workflow to log failed imports by @exploreriii in chore: fix examples workflow to log failed imports #739

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

• chore: update local environment configuration by @advay-sinha in chore: update local environment configuration #655
• chore: Update env.example NETWORK to encourage testnet or local usage by @ryleymao in chore: Update env.example NETWORK to encourage testnet or local usage #664

EXAMPLE REFACTORS

• chore: modularized script of examples/custom_fee.py by @nikhil-nari in chore: modularized script of examples/custom_fee.py #666
• chore: Standardize client initialization across examples/ files (Standardize examples/ calls to client #658) by @Rishabh1925 in chore: Standardize client initialization across examples/ files (#658) #693
• chore: remove hardcoded testnet messages by @elsakarvouni in chore: remove hardcoded testnet messages #670
• fix: Split custom_fee.py into three separate examples by @Adityarya11 in fix: Split custom_fee.py into three separate examples #674

NEW FEATURES

• feat: add AccountRecordsQuery by @Dosik13 in feat: add AccountRecordsQuery #407
• feat: add transaction bytes serialization support by @nadineloepfe in feat: add transaction bytes serialization support #648
• feat: Added TokenUnpauseTransaction by @manishdait in feat: Added TokenUnpauseTransaction #643
• feat: add FreezeTransaction by @Dosik13 in feat: add FreezeTransaction #716
• feat: tokenclaimairdrop transaction by @exploreriii in feat: tokenclaimairdrop transaction #730
• feat: add TokenFeeScheduleUpdateTransaction class and tests by @Akshat8510 in feat: add TokenFeeScheduleUpdateTransaction class and tests #722
• feat: Refactor AbstractTokenTransferTransaction to unify Token/NFT transfer logic by @manishdait in feat: Refactor AbstractTokenTransferTransaction to unify Token/NFT transfer logic #710
• feat: Added missing fields for TokenCreateTransaction and TokenUpdateTransaction by @manishdait in feat: Added missing fields for TokenCreateTransaction and TokenUpdateTransaction #409

TYPING

• fix: Improve type conflict in token_cancel_airdrop_transaction.py by @Adityarya11 in fix: Improve type conflict in token_cancel_airdrop_transaction.py #637
• fix: Improve type hinting in file_append_transaction.py by @Adityarya11 in fix: Improve type hinting in file_append_transaction.py #633
• chore: Use typing.NamedTuple for Operator in client.py by @Adityarya11 in chore: Use typing.NamedTuple for Operator in client.py #669
• feat: FileId class cleanup, docstrings and typing by @Raja-89 in feat: FileId class cleanup, docstrings and typing #656

FIXES

• fix: Use SDK TokenType enum instead of protobuf in examples by @Adityarya11 in fix: Use SDK TokenType enum instead of protobuf in examples #731
• fix(tokens): Prevent ValueError in TokenId.from_string when input is None src/hiero_sdk_python/tokens/token_id.py Argument of type "str | None" type conflict #630 by @prakhar14-op in fix(tokens): Prevent ValueError in TokenId.from_string when input is None #630 #689
• fix: Resolve eq type conflict in CustomFee class (eq Type conflict in src/hiero_sdk_python/tokens/custom_fee.py #627) by @Rachitb0611 in fix: Resolve __eq__ type conflict in CustomFee class (#627) #672
• chore: guard token airdrop channel service availability by @advay-sinha in chore: guard token airdrop channel service availability #632
• fix: Update schedule_sign_transaction_e2e_test to check for key presence instead of relying on index.

BREAKING CHANGES

• chore: removing deprecated functionalities in logger.py by @Raja-89 in chore: removing deprecated functionalities in logger.py #684
• chore: token airdrop rename 631 by @exploreriii in chore: token airdrop rename 631 #686

New Contributors

• @Rishabh1925 made their first contribution in docs: Add guide for joining Hiero Discord (#614) #620
• @advay-sinha made their first contribution in chore: guard token airdrop channel service availability #632
• @Rachitb0611 made their first contribution in docs: Add Google-style docstrings to contract_id.py #642
• @ryleymao made their first contribution in chore: Update env.example NETWORK to encourage testnet or local usage #664
• @nikhil-nari made their first contribution in chore: modularized script of examples/custom_fee.py #666
• @prakhar14-op made their first contribution in fix(tokens): Prevent ValueError in TokenId.from_string when input is None #630 #689
• @CynthiaFotso made their first contribution in chore: Add module, class, and method docstrings to custom_fee.py #696
• @elsakarvouni made their first contribution in chore: remove hardcoded testnet messages #670