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Structured workflow summary ($GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY) for every run #154

@hdamker

Description

@hdamker

Problem description

Currently, the release automation workflow only writes $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY for skip cases (NOT_PLANNED without an open issue, PUBLISHED). All other runs — including the main command paths (create-snapshot, publish-release, sync-issue) — produce no structured summary. Diagnosing workflow behavior requires reading individual job logs.

Possible evolution

Every workflow run should produce a structured summary containing:

  • Trigger: What started the run (workflow_dispatch, issue comment, issue close/reopen, PR merge)
  • State at start: Derived state from repository artifacts
  • Action taken: What the workflow did
  • Release configuration: Tag, type, APIs, dependencies
  • Resulting state: State after the action completed
  • Artifact links: Links to Release Issue, snapshot branch, Release PR, draft/published release

The summary should be generated centrally (not scattered across individual jobs).

Alternative solution

Continue relying on bot comments on the Release Issue for observability. These already capture the key information but are tied to the issue context, not the workflow run.

Additional context

This is most valuable after workflow job consolidation (#101), which would provide a natural central point for summary generation. Consider implementing after that restructuring.

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    BacklogImplementation not considered short-term, long-term evolution issueenhancementNew feature or requestrelease automationRelated to the implementation or introduction of new release automation

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