[release] improve release steps naming (#279)

* rename step 1

* add PR title and body arguments

* rename step 3

* clarify project version check

* update readme about the release process

.github/workflows/README.md

@@ -28,12 +28,20 @@ Whenever a merge to the main or branches, the whole workflow will be compiled an
 
 ### Release process
 
-This process has been fully automated, and it gets triggered manually when the [release](https://github.com/elastic/elastic-otel-java/actions/workflows/release.yml) workflow is being run. It runs a Buildkite pipeline in charge of generating and publishing the artifacts; for further details, please go to [the Buildkite folder](../../.buildkite/README.md). 
+To release a new version of elastic-otel-java, you must use two GitHub Workflows.
+
+- Trigger the `release-step-1` GH workflow
+  - parameters: version to release
+  - will open `release-step-2` PR
+- Review and merge the `release-step-2` PR to `main` (version bump to release)
+- Trigger the `release-step-3` GH workflow
+  - parameters: version to release and the `main` branch (or merge commit/ref of `release-step-2` PR merge).
+  - will generate and publish release artifact through [buildkite](../../.buildkite/release.yml).
+  - will open `release-step-4` PR
+- Review and merge the `release-step-4` PR to `main` (version bump from release to next snapshot version)
 
 The tag release follows the naming convention: `v.<major>.<minor>.<patch>`, where `<major>`, `<minor>` and `<patch>`.
 
-The release automation raises a Pull Request with the next version.
-
 ### OpenTelemetry
 
 A GitHub workflow is responsible for populating the workflows regarding jobs and steps. Those details can be seen [here](https://ela.st/oblt-ci-cd-stats) (**NOTE**: only available for Elasticians).

.github/workflows/pre-post-release.yml

@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ on:
         description: 'Pre or post release phase'
         type: string # valid values are 'pre' or 'post'
         required: true
+      pr_title:
+        description: 'pull-request title'
+        type: string
+        required: true
+      pr_body:
+        description: : 'pull-request body'
+        type: string
+        required: true
 
 env:
   RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ inputs.version }}
@@ -90,8 +98,8 @@ jobs:
           git add --all
           git commit -m "${{ inputs.phase }} release: elastic-otel-java v${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}"
           git push origin ${{ env.BRANCH_NAME }}
-  
+
       - name: Create the ${{ inputs.phase }} release PR
-        run: gh pr create --title="${{ inputs.phase }} release v${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}" --base main --head ${{ env.BRANCH_NAME }} -b "${{ inputs.phase }} release v${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}"
+        run: gh pr create --title="${{ inputs.pr_title }}" --base main --head ${{ env.BRANCH_NAME }} -b "${{ inputs.pr_body }}"
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ env.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

.github/workflows/pre-release.yml → .github/workflows/release-step-1.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 
-name: Pre release
+name: release-step-1
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -29,4 +29,6 @@ jobs:
       ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
       version: ${{ inputs.version }}
       phase: 'pre'
+      pr_title: "[release] release-step-2 ${{ inputs.version }}"
+      pr_body: "Step 2 of the release process for version ${{ inputs.version }}: review & merge, then execute 'release-step-3' GH workflow"
     secrets: inherit

.github/workflows/release.yml → .github/workflows/release-step-3.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 
-name: Release
+name: release-step-3
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/workflows/validate-tag
         with:
           tag: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION_TAG }}
-      - name: Validate tag match current version
+      - name: Validate tag match current gradle project version
         run: |
           if [ "$(./gradlew -q currentVersion)" != "${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}" ]; then
             echo "Tag should match version set in 'version.properties'"
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ jobs:
       ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
       version: ${{ inputs.version }}
       phase: 'post'
+      pr_title: "[release] release-step-4 ${{ inputs.version }}"
+      pr_body: "Step 4 of the release process for version ${{ inputs.version }}: review & merge"
     secrets: inherit
 
   create-github-release: