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Release Project workflow (google/closure-compiler)

The Release Project workflow from google/closure-compiler, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

D

CI health: D - needs work

The optimized version below adds caching, run de-duplication, job timeouts.

Source: google/closure-compiler.github/workflows/release.yamlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the Release Project workflow from the google/closure-compiler repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its Apache-2.0 license.

Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.

The workflow

workflow (.yml)
# Copyright 2025 Google LLC
#
# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
# You may obtain a copy of the License at
#
#     https://www.apache.0rg/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
#
# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
# limitations under the License.
name: Release Project

permissions:
  contents: read

# This workflow is triggered by pushes to the `master` branch that modify '.github/piper-cut-cl.json'.
# When `piper-cut-cl.json` changes, indicating a new release cut, the workflow proceeds to:
# 1.  Tag the repository at the current commit with the new version ID.
# 2.  Run the test suite.
# 3.  If tests pass, publish the release artifacts to Sonatype.
on:
  push:
    branches: [ master ]
    paths:
      - '.github/piper-cut-cl.json'

jobs:
  tag_release_version_id:
    name: Tag Release Version ID
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: write
    outputs:
      tag: ${{ fromJson(steps.set_piper_json_vars.outputs.piperJson).version_id }}
    steps:
    # Checkout the piper-cut-cl.json from the most recent commit
    - name: Checkout Current closure-compiler Commit
      # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/checkout
      uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
      with:
        fetch-depth: 1
        sparse-checkout: |
          .github/piper-cut-cl.json
          .github/ci_support/tag_release_version.sh
        sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false

    - id: set_piper_json_vars
      # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/accessing-contextual-information-about-workflow-runs#steps-context
      run: |
        {
            echo 'piperJson<<EOF'
            cat ./.github/piper-cut-cl.json
            echo EOF
        } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"

    # Fetch all historical commits
    - name: Checkout all closure-compiler commits and tags
      uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
      with:
        # a depth of 0 triggers a fetch of all historical commits/branches/tags
        # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/checkout#Fetch-all-history-for-all-tags-and-branches
        fetch-depth: 0

    - name: Tag cut CL
      id: tag_cut_cl
      run: |
          git config --global user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"
          git config --global user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"
          .github/ci_support/tag_release_version.sh \
              "${{ fromJson(env.piperJson).piper_cut_cl }}" \
              "${{ fromJson(env.piperJson).version_id }}";
      env:
        piperJson: ${{ steps.set_piper_json_vars.outputs.piperJson }}
        GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

  run-tests:
    uses: ./.github/workflows/run_tests.yaml
    needs: tag_release_version_id
    with:
      ref: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}

  publish-to-sonatype:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    # Only publish if tests passed.
    needs: [tag_release_version_id, run-tests]

    steps:
      - name: Check secrets are provided
        run: |
          check_secret() {
            if [[ -z "${2:-}" ]]; then
              echo "Error: secret ${1} is required but not provided."
              exit 1
            fi
          }
          check_secret "SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN" "${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN }}"
          check_secret "SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN" "${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN }}"
          check_secret "MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY" "${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}"
          check_secret "MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE" "${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE }}"

      - name: Checkout the repo at the release tag
        uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
        with:
          ref: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}
          persist-credentials: false

      # Maven and Bazel require Java to be available.
      - name: Setup Java
        uses: actions/setup-java@ad2b38190b15e4d6bdf0c97fb4fca8412226d287 # v5.3.0
        with:
          java-version: '21'
          distribution: 'zulu'
          java-package: jdk
          # This will trigger the import of the private key in the GPG secret keyring.
          gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}
          # This will create the maven settings.xml file needed for deploying to Sonatype.
          server-id: central
          # Configure Maven settings to use environment variables. These environment variables are
          # populated from GitHub secrets in the publication steps.
          server-username: SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN
          server-password: SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN
          gpg-passphrase: MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE

      # https://github.com/bazel-contrib/setup-bazel
      - uses: bazel-contrib/setup-bazel@c5acdfb288317d0b5c0bbd7a396a3dc868bb0f86 # 0.19.0
        with:
          # Avoid downloading Bazel every time.
          bazelisk-cache: true
          # Store build cache per workflow.
          disk-cache: ${{ github.workflow }}
          # Share repository cache between workflows
          repository-cache: true

      - name: Upload and Publish to Sonatype
        run: |
          ./release.sh --sonatype-auto-publish
        env:
          RELEASE_NUM: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}
          SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN }}
          SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN }}
          MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE }}

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Estimated ~20% faster on cache hits, plus fewer wasted runs and a safer supply chain. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

# Copyright 2025 Google LLC## Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.# You may obtain a copy of the License at##     https://www.apache.0rg/licenses/LICENSE-2.0## Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and# limitations under the License.name: Release Project permissions:  contents: read # This workflow is triggered by pushes to the `master` branch that modify '.github/piper-cut-cl.json'.# When `piper-cut-cl.json` changes, indicating a new release cut, the workflow proceeds to:# 1.  Tag the repository at the current commit with the new version ID.# 2.  Run the test suite.# 3.  If tests pass, publish the release artifacts to Sonatype.on:  push:    branches: [ master ]    paths:      - '.github/piper-cut-cl.json' concurrency:  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}  cancel-in-progress: true jobs:  tag_release_version_id:    timeout-minutes: 30    name: Tag Release Version ID    runs-on: latchkey-small    permissions:      contents: write    outputs:      tag: ${{ fromJson(steps.set_piper_json_vars.outputs.piperJson).version_id }}    steps:    # Checkout the piper-cut-cl.json from the most recent commit    - name: Checkout Current closure-compiler Commit      # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/checkout      uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0      with:        fetch-depth: 1        sparse-checkout: |          .github/piper-cut-cl.json          .github/ci_support/tag_release_version.sh        sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false     - id: set_piper_json_vars      # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/writing-workflows/choosing-what-your-workflow-does/accessing-contextual-information-about-workflow-runs#steps-context      run: |        {            echo 'piperJson<<EOF'            cat ./.github/piper-cut-cl.json            echo EOF        } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"     # Fetch all historical commits    - name: Checkout all closure-compiler commits and tags      uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0      with:        # a depth of 0 triggers a fetch of all historical commits/branches/tags        # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/checkout#Fetch-all-history-for-all-tags-and-branches        fetch-depth: 0     - name: Tag cut CL      id: tag_cut_cl      run: |          git config --global user.name "${GITHUB_ACTOR}"          git config --global user.email "${GITHUB_ACTOR}@users.noreply.github.com"          .github/ci_support/tag_release_version.sh \              "${{ fromJson(env.piperJson).piper_cut_cl }}" \              "${{ fromJson(env.piperJson).version_id }}";      env:        piperJson: ${{ steps.set_piper_json_vars.outputs.piperJson }}        GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}   run-tests:    timeout-minutes: 30    uses: ./.github/workflows/run_tests.yaml    needs: tag_release_version_id    with:      ref: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}   publish-to-sonatype:    timeout-minutes: 30    runs-on: latchkey-small    # Only publish if tests passed.    needs: [tag_release_version_id, run-tests]     steps:      - name: Check secrets are provided        run: |          check_secret() {            if [[ -z "${2:-}" ]]; then              echo "Error: secret ${1} is required but not provided."              exit 1            fi          }          check_secret "SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN" "${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN }}"          check_secret "SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN" "${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN }}"          check_secret "MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY" "${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}"          check_secret "MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE" "${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE }}"       - name: Checkout the repo at the release tag        uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0        with:          ref: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}          persist-credentials: false       # Maven and Bazel require Java to be available.      - name: Setup Java        uses: actions/setup-java@ad2b38190b15e4d6bdf0c97fb4fca8412226d287 # v5.3.0        with:          cache: 'maven'          java-version: '21'          distribution: 'zulu'          java-package: jdk          # This will trigger the import of the private key in the GPG secret keyring.          gpg-private-key: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY }}          # This will create the maven settings.xml file needed for deploying to Sonatype.          server-id: central          # Configure Maven settings to use environment variables. These environment variables are          # populated from GitHub secrets in the publication steps.          server-username: SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN          server-password: SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN          gpg-passphrase: MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE       # https://github.com/bazel-contrib/setup-bazel      - uses: bazel-contrib/setup-bazel@c5acdfb288317d0b5c0bbd7a396a3dc868bb0f86 # 0.19.0        with:          # Avoid downloading Bazel every time.          bazelisk-cache: true          # Store build cache per workflow.          disk-cache: ${{ github.workflow }}          # Share repository cache between workflows          repository-cache: true       - name: Upload and Publish to Sonatype        run: |          ./release.sh --sonatype-auto-publish        env:          RELEASE_NUM: ${{ needs.tag_release_version_id.outputs.tag }}          SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_USERNAME_TOKEN }}          SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_PASSWORD_TOKEN }}          MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE }} 

What changed

  • Run on Latchkey managed runners with one line (runs-on), which apply the fixes below automatically and self-heal transient failures. This example uses latchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job.
  • Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
  • Cache dependency installs on the setup step so they are served from cache.
  • Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

This workflow runs 3 jobs per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow

actions/checkout actions/setup-java bazel-contrib/setup-bazel

Frequently asked questions

What does the Release Project workflow (google/closure-compiler) workflow do?
This is the Release Project workflow from the google/closure-compiler repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its Apache-2.0 license.
What CI health grade does this workflow get?
This Java workflow grades D. Paste your own workflow into the Latchkey grader to see its grade and the exact fixes.
How can I improve this Java workflow?
Apply caching, run de-duplication, job timeouts. Latchkey applies these automatically on managed runners when you point runs-on at Latchkey.

References