Create an action we can reuse to wait for a workflow to finish

.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# dispatch-and-wait
+
+Dispatches a `workflow_dispatch` workflow, waits for the run to complete, and fails the step unless the run's conclusion is `success`.
+
+Used wherever a workflow starts another one and depends on its result: `release-train-join` from the three branch-creation workflows, `release-train-ready` from `spring-release-train-project-ready`, and each per-project run from `create-release-branches`.
+
+## Inputs
+
+| Name | Required | Default | Description |
+|------|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `repo` | yes | — | Full repository path of the workflow to run (e.g. `spring-cloud/spring-cloud-config-commercial`) |
+| `workflow` | yes | — | Workflow file name (e.g. `release-train-join.yml`) |
+| `ref` | yes | — | Branch or tag to run the workflow on |
+| `inputs` | no | — | Workflow inputs, one `key=value` per line. Everything after the first `=` is the value, passed as a raw string, so values may contain spaces. Blank lines are ignored. |
+| `summary-title` | no | — | When set, appends `<summary-title>: succeeded\|FAILED (<conclusion>) - <run url>` to the job's step summary |
+| `interval` | no | `10` | Seconds between status checks |
+| `token` | yes | — | GitHub token allowed to dispatch and read workflow runs in `repo` |
+
+## Outputs
+
+| Name | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `run-url` | URL of the dispatched run |
+| `conclusion` | Conclusion of the run (`success`, `failure`, `cancelled`, ...) |
+
+## Usage
+
+```yaml
+- name: Checkout
+  uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+- name: Trigger release-train-join workflow and wait
+  uses: ./.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait
+  with:
+    repo:     spring-cloud/spring-cloud-config-commercial
+    workflow: release-train-join.yml
+    ref:      release/5.0.4
+    inputs: |
+      deployment-destination=Spring Enterprise
+      release-train=2026.1
+      release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train
+    token:    ${{ secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
+```
+
+## Notes
+
+- **The run's conclusion decides the result, not `gh run watch`'s exit status.** Right after dispatch, `gh run watch` can exit non-zero before the run has any jobs, even though the run goes on to succeed. The watch is only used to wait: if it returns before the run is `completed`, the action checks the status and watches again.
+- The watch's error output is kept in the log rather than discarded, so an early exit is visible.
+- The run id is read from the URL `gh workflow run` prints. If that output isn't a run URL, the step fails rather than waiting on nothing.

.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait/action.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+name: 'Dispatch and Wait'
+description: >
+  Dispatches a workflow_dispatch workflow, waits for the run to complete, and fails unless
+  the run's conclusion is success.
+
+inputs:
+  repo:
+    description: 'Full repository path of the workflow to run (e.g. spring-cloud/spring-cloud-config-commercial)'
+    required: true
+  workflow:
+    description: 'Workflow file name (e.g. release-train-join.yml)'
+    required: true
+  ref:
+    description: 'Branch or tag to run the workflow on'
+    required: true
+  inputs:
+    description: >
+      Workflow inputs, one key=value per line. Everything after the first = is the value,
+      passed as a raw string, so values may contain spaces or further = signs. Blank lines
+      are ignored.
+    required: false
+    default: ''
+  summary-title:
+    description: >
+      When set, a line "<summary-title>: succeeded|FAILED (<conclusion>) - <run url>" is
+      appended to the job's step summary.
+    required: false
+    default: ''
+  interval:
+    description: 'Seconds between status checks'
+    required: false
+    default: '10'
+  token:
+    description: 'GitHub token allowed to dispatch and read workflow runs in repo'
+    required: true
+
+outputs:
+  run-url:
+    description: 'URL of the dispatched run'
+    value: ${{ steps.run.outputs.run-url }}
+  conclusion:
+    description: 'Conclusion of the run (success, failure, cancelled, ...)'
+    value: ${{ steps.run.outputs.conclusion }}
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Dispatch ${{ inputs.workflow }} and wait
+      id: run
+      shell: bash
+      env:
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
+        REPO: ${{ inputs.repo }}
+        WORKFLOW: ${{ inputs.workflow }}
+        REF: ${{ inputs.ref }}
+        WORKFLOW_INPUTS: ${{ inputs.inputs }}
+        SUMMARY_TITLE: ${{ inputs.summary-title }}
+        INTERVAL: ${{ inputs.interval }}
+      run: |
+        set -euo pipefail
+
+        args=()
+        while IFS= read -r line; do
+          line="${line%$'\r'}"
+          [[ -z "${line//[[:space:]]/}" ]] && continue
+          if [[ "$line" != *=* ]]; then
+            echo "::error::Workflow input '${line}' is not key=value."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          args+=(-f "$line")
+        done <<< "$WORKFLOW_INPUTS"
+
+        echo "Dispatching ${WORKFLOW} in ${REPO} on ${REF}..."
+        run_url=$(gh workflow run "$WORKFLOW" --repo "$REPO" --ref "$REF" "${args[@]}")
+        run_id="${run_url##*/}"
+        if [[ ! "$run_id" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+          echo "::error::Could not read the run id from gh workflow run's output: '${run_url}'"
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "run-url=${run_url}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        echo "Dispatched. Waiting for ${run_url} to complete."
+
+        # gh run watch's exit status is not the run's result: right after dispatch it can
+        # exit non-zero before the run has any jobs, while the run goes on to succeed. So
+        # the watch is only used to wait, and the run's own conclusion decides the outcome,
+        # re-watching until the run has actually completed.
+        while :; do
+          gh run watch "$run_id" --repo "$REPO" --interval="$INTERVAL" > /dev/null \
+            || echo "gh run watch exited early; checking the run's status."
+          status=$(gh run view "$run_id" --repo "$REPO" --json status --jq .status) || status=""
+          [[ "$status" == "completed" ]] && break
+          sleep "$INTERVAL"
+        done
+        conclusion=$(gh run view "$run_id" --repo "$REPO" --json conclusion --jq .conclusion)
+        echo "conclusion=${conclusion}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+        if [[ "$conclusion" == "success" ]]; then
+          echo "${WORKFLOW} succeeded: ${run_url}"
+          [[ -n "$SUMMARY_TITLE" ]] && echo "### ${SUMMARY_TITLE}: succeeded - ${run_url}" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        [[ -n "$SUMMARY_TITLE" ]] && echo "### ${SUMMARY_TITLE}: FAILED (${conclusion}) - ${run_url}" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+        echo "::error::${WORKFLOW} in ${REPO} finished with conclusion '${conclusion}': ${run_url}"
+        exit 1

.github/actions/spring-release-train-project-ready/action.yml

@@ -179,25 +179,15 @@ runs:
         fi
 
     - name: Trigger release-train-ready workflow
-      shell: bash
-      env:
-        GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token }}
-      run: |
-        run_url=$(gh workflow run release-train-ready.yml \
-          --repo spring-cloud/${{ inputs.project }} \
-          --ref release/${{ steps.version.outputs.version }} \
-          --field release-train=${{ inputs.spring-release-train-version }} \
-          --field release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train)
-        echo "Dispatched workflow run. Waiting for $run_url to complete."
-        run_id=${run_url##*/}
-        watch_exit_code=0
-        gh run watch $run_id --repo spring-cloud/${{ inputs.project }} --exit-status --interval=3 > /dev/null 2>&1 || watch_exit_code=$?
-        if [[ $watch_exit_code -eq 0 ]]; then
-          echo "Workflow run succeeded."
-        else
-          echo "Workflow run failed."
-        fi
-        exit $watch_exit_code
+      uses: ./.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait
+      with:
+        repo:     spring-cloud/${{ inputs.project }}
+        workflow: release-train-ready.yml
+        ref:      release/${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+        inputs: |
+          release-train=${{ inputs.spring-release-train-version }}
+          release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train
+        token:    ${{ inputs.token }}
 
     # A hotfix release/<version> branch is registered in config/projects.json for its own
     # scheduled CI entry (create-hotfix-release-branch.yml); a GA release/<version> branch

.github/workflows/create-commercial-release-branch.yml

@@ -210,25 +210,13 @@ jobs:
       # evaluate falsy and skip the join rather than fail visibly.
       - name: Trigger release-train-join workflow and wait
         if: ${{ inputs['release-train'] != '' }}
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ inputs.token || secrets.token || secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
-        run: |
-          commercial_project="${{ steps.setup.outputs.commercial-project }}"
-          release_branch="release/${{ steps.setup.outputs.release-version }}"
-
-          run_url=$(gh workflow run release-train-join.yml \
-            --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" \
-            --ref "${release_branch}" \
-            --field "deployment-destination=Spring Enterprise" \
-            --field "release-train=${{ inputs.release-train }}" \
-            --field "release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train")
-          echo "Dispatched workflow run. Waiting for $run_url to complete."
-          run_id=${run_url##*/}
-          watch_exit_code=0
-          gh run watch $run_id --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" --exit-status --interval=3 > /dev/null 2>&1 || watch_exit_code=$?
-          if [[ $watch_exit_code -eq 0 ]]; then
-            echo "Workflow run succeeded."
-          else
-            echo "Workflow run failed."
-          fi
-          exit $watch_exit_code
+        uses: ./.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait
+        with:
+          repo:     spring-cloud/${{ steps.setup.outputs.commercial-project }}
+          workflow: release-train-join.yml
+          ref:      release/${{ steps.setup.outputs.release-version }}
+          inputs: |
+            deployment-destination=Spring Enterprise
+            release-train=${{ inputs['release-train'] }}
+            release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train
+          token:    ${{ inputs.token || secrets.token || secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}

.github/workflows/create-hotfix-release-branch.yml

@@ -493,31 +493,24 @@ jobs:
     needs: [derive, ensure-workflows, create-milestone]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        if: ${{ inputs.spring_release_train != '' }}
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ inputs.sha || github.sha }}
+
       - name: Trigger release-train-join workflow and wait
         if: ${{ inputs.spring_release_train != '' }}
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
-        shell: bash
-        run: |
-          commercial_project="${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_project }}"
-          release_branch="${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_branch }}"
-          echo "Triggering release-train-join.yml in spring-cloud/${commercial_project} on ${release_branch}..."
-          run_url=$(gh workflow run release-train-join.yml \
-            --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" \
-            --ref "${release_branch}" \
-            --field "deployment-destination=Spring Enterprise" \
-            --field "release-train=${{ inputs.spring_release_train }}" \
-            --field "release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train")
-          echo "Dispatched workflow run. Waiting for $run_url to complete."
-          run_id=${run_url##*/}
-          watch_exit_code=0
-          gh run watch $run_id --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" --exit-status --interval=3 > /dev/null 2>&1 || watch_exit_code=$?
-          if [[ $watch_exit_code -eq 0 ]]; then
-            echo "Workflow run succeeded."
-          else
-            echo "Workflow run failed."
-          fi
-          exit $watch_exit_code
+        uses: ./.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait
+        with:
+          repo:     spring-cloud/${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_project }}
+          workflow: release-train-join.yml
+          ref:      ${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_branch }}
+          inputs: |
+            deployment-destination=Spring Enterprise
+            release-train=${{ inputs.spring_release_train }}
+            release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train
+          token:    ${{ secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
 
   trigger-ci:
     needs: [derive, initialize, create-internal-release-branch, trigger-release-train-join]

.github/workflows/create-oss-release-branch.yml

@@ -621,31 +621,24 @@ jobs:
     needs: [derive, ensure-workflows, create-milestone]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - name: Trigger release-train-join workflow and wait
+      - name: Checkout
         if: ${{ inputs.spring_release_train != '' }}
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
-        run: |
-          commercial_project="${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_project }}"
-          commercial_branch="${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_branch }}"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ inputs.sha || github.sha }}
 
-          echo "Triggering release-train-join.yml in spring-cloud/${commercial_project} on ${commercial_branch}..."
-          run_url=$(gh workflow run release-train-join.yml \
-            --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" \
-            --ref "${commercial_branch}" \
-            --field "deployment-destination=Maven Central" \
-            --field "release-train=${{ inputs.spring_release_train }}" \
-            --field "release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train")
-          echo "Dispatched workflow run. Waiting for $run_url to complete."
-          run_id=${run_url##*/}
-          watch_exit_code=0
-          gh run watch $run_id --repo "spring-cloud/${commercial_project}" --exit-status --interval=3 > /dev/null 2>&1 || watch_exit_code=$?
-          if [[ $watch_exit_code -eq 0 ]]; then
-            echo "Workflow run succeeded."
-          else
-            echo "Workflow run failed."
-          fi
-          exit $watch_exit_code
+      - name: Trigger release-train-join workflow and wait
+        if: ${{ inputs.spring_release_train != '' }}
+        uses: ./.github/actions/dispatch-and-wait
+        with:
+          repo:     spring-cloud/${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_project }}
+          workflow: release-train-join.yml
+          ref:      ${{ needs.derive.outputs.commercial_branch }}
+          inputs: |
+            deployment-destination=Maven Central
+            release-train=${{ inputs.spring_release_train }}
+            release-train-repository=spring-io/release-train
+          token:    ${{ secrets.GH_ACTIONS_REPO_TOKEN }}
 
   # Squash all [skip actions] initialization commits into a single commit and
   # push it (without [skip actions]) to trigger the CI pipeline on the newly