better starting condition for forced release

.github/workflows/publish_version_enforce.yml

@@ -14,9 +14,34 @@ env:
   DOC_LOC: "./docs"
 
 jobs:
+  # NOTE: This workflow only runs if a release- branch has an open pull request
+  associated_pr:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      OWNER: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
+      REPO: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+      pull-requests: write
+      repository-projects: write
+    outputs:
+      event: ${{ steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0  # NOTE: This might be needed to assert that we get the full history
+                          #       for the changelog.
+      # get the related pull request
+      - name: Determine associated Pull request
+        id: get_pr
+        run: |
+          echo "PR=`echo $(gh pr list --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }} --json 'number,headRefName'|jq --arg NAME ${{ github.ref_name }} '.[] | select(.headRefName | contains($NAME)) | .number')`" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
   build-release-content:
-    if: ${{ github.ref_name == startsWith('release-') }}  # only run on release- branches
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - associated_pr
     container:
       image: ${{ vars.CONTAINER_SOURCE }}/debian/gcc/release/abn:latest
     permissions:
@@ -63,7 +88,9 @@ jobs:
 
   release-version:
     # NOTE: Currently this workflow only runs if a release- branch has an open pull request
-    needs: build-release-content
+    needs:
+      - build-release-content
+      - associated_pr
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
@@ -78,36 +105,30 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0  # NOTE: This might be needed to assert that we get the full history
                           #       for the changelog.
-      # get the related pull request
-      - name: Determine associated Pull request
-        id: get_pr
-        run: |
-          echo "PR=`echo $(gh pr list --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }} --json 'number,headRefName'|jq --arg NAME ${{ github.ref_name }} '.[] | select(.headRefName | contains($NAME)) | .number')`" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Attempt to create label ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }}
-        if: ${{ steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ needs.associated_pr.outputs.pr }}
         id: present_label
         run: |
           gh label create ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }}
         continue-on-error: true  # make sure the next steps run also on failure
       - name: Check if the pull request is labeled with ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }}  # 2
-        if: ${{ steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
         id: published
         run: |
-          if $( gh pr view ${{ steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }} --json "labels" --jq ".[].[].name" | grep --quiet ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }}); then
+          if $( gh pr view ${{ needs.associated_pr.outputs.pr }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }} --json "labels" --jq ".[].[].name" | grep --quiet ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }}); then
             echo "LABELED=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
             echo "LABELED=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
       - name: Get the version to release  # 2
-        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') && steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') }}
         id: release_version
         run: |
           git fetch --filter=tree:0 origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
           echo "VERSION=$(echo ${{ github.ref_name }}|grep -Eo '[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+')" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "PREVIOUS_VERSION=`echo $(git tag --list | grep -E '[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+$' | tail -n1)`" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           cat $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Remove previous releases of the target tag, if existing  # 2
-        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') && steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') }}
         run: |
           if script -q -e -c "gh release view ${{ steps.release_version.outputs.version }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }}"; then
             # removing previous release along with associated tag
@@ -119,13 +140,13 @@ jobs:
             echo "No trace of a previous release."
           fi
       - name: Prepare Release note  # 2
-        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') && steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') }}
         # this gets the first the changes to the previous clean tag (including manual edits)
         run: |
-          awk '/<a name="${{ steps.release_version.outputs.version }}".*/{a=1};a;/<a name="${{ steps.release_version.outputs.previous_version }}"*/{exit}' NEWS.md | head -n -1 >> body.md
+          awk '/<a name="${{ steps.release_version.outputs.version }}".*/{a=1};a;/<a name="${{ needs.associated_pr.outputs.previous_version }}"*/{exit}' NEWS.md | head -n -1 >> body.md
           cat body.md
       - name: Create tag and release  # 2
-        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') && steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') }}
         run: |
           echo $GITHUB_SHA 
           gh release create ${{ steps.release_version.outputs.version }} \
@@ -135,9 +156,9 @@ jobs:
             --notes-file body.md \
             --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }} \
       - name: Adding the label ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }}  # 2
-        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') && steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }}
+        if: ${{ (steps.published.outputs.labeled == 'false') }}
         run: |
-          gh pr edit ${{ steps.get_pr.outputs.pr }} --add-label ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }}
+          gh pr edit ${{ needs.associated_pr.outputs.pr }} --add-label ${{ env.LABEL_PUBLISHED }} --repo ${{ env.OWNER }}/${{ env.REPO }}
         shell: bash
       - name: Get the built package
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4