Require projects specify their Java version with .tool-versions

.github/workflows/reusable-release.yml

@@ -110,12 +110,31 @@ jobs:
     name: 🎊 Test & Version
     needs: init
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      library_build_major_java_version: ${{ steps.establish_java_for_library_build.outputs.library_build_major_java_version }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - id: establish_java_for_library_build
+        name: Establish library build Java version
+        run: |
+          if [ ! -f .tool-versions ]; then
+            echo "::error title=Missing .tool-versions file::gha-scala-library-release-workflow requires an asdf-format .tool-versions file to establish the Java version for the build."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          LIBRARY_BUILD_MAJOR_JAVA_VERSION=$( grep -Eo 'java [[:alnum:]-]+-[[:digit:]]+' .tool-versions | rev | cut -d'-' -f1 | rev )
+          echo "Using Java $LIBRARY_BUILD_MAJOR_JAVA_VERSION"
+          if [ -z "${LIBRARY_BUILD_MAJOR_JAVA_VERSION}" ]; then
+            echo "::error title=Missing Java version in .tool-versions file::Could not establish the library's required Java version - the '.tool-versions' file should have a line like 'java corretto-21.0.3.9.1'."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          cat << EndOfFile >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          library_build_major_java_version=$LIBRARY_BUILD_MAJOR_JAVA_VERSION
+          EndOfFile
       - uses: actions/setup-java@v4 # don't 'cache: sbt', at least until https://github.com/actions/setup-java/pull/564 is merged
         with:
           distribution: corretto
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: ${{ steps.establish_java_for_library_build.outputs.library_build_major_java_version }}
 #      - name: Debug MIMA assessment
 #        run: |
 #          sbt "show versionPolicyFindIssues"
@@ -140,7 +159,10 @@ jobs:
           ls -lR $GITHUB_WORKSPACE
       - name: Job summary
         run: |
-          echo "# Release $(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          cat << EndOfFile >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          # Release $(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
+          Library built with Java ${{ steps.establish_java_for_library_build.outputs.library_build_major_java_version }}.
+          EndOfFile
       - uses: actions/cache/save@v4
         with:
           path: repo-with-unsigned-version-update-commits.git
@@ -239,7 +261,7 @@ jobs:
 
   create-artifacts:
     name: 🎊 Create artifacts
-    needs: [init, push-release-commit]
+    needs: [init, generate-version-update-commits, push-release-commit]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       ARTIFACT_SHA256SUMS: ${{ steps.record-hashes.outputs.ARTIFACT_SHA256SUMS }}
@@ -250,7 +272,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-java@v4 # don't 'cache: sbt', at least until https://github.com/actions/setup-java/pull/564 is resolved
         with:
           distribution: corretto
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: ${{ needs.generate-version-update-commits.outputs.library_build_major_java_version }}
       - name: Generate artifacts
         run: |
           cat << EndOfFile > sbt-commands.txt

docs/configuration.md

@@ -43,6 +43,30 @@ Your repo will require access to [release credentials](credentials/supplying-cre
 [pass on those secrets](https://github.com/guardian/etag-caching/blob/9935da29e76b8b89759bcfe967cc7c1c02aa1814/.github/workflows/release.yml#L11-L13)
 to the workflow.
 
+## Java version
+
+[Example `.tool-versions`](https://github.com/guardian/etag-caching/blob/main/.tool-versions)
+
+Your repository *must* contain an [`asdf`](https://asdf-vm.com/)-formatted `.tool-versions` file
+in the root of the repository, specifying the Java version to be used by the workflow for
+building your project, eg:
+
+```
+java corretto-21.0.3.9.1
+```
+
+Note that although `asdf` requires a fully-specified Java version (eg `21.0.3.9.1` - use
+`asdf list-all java` to list all possible Java versions), currently the workflow will only
+match the *major* version of Java specified in the file (eg `21`), and will _always_ use the
+AWS Corretto distribution of Java. This is due to
+[limitations](https://github.com/actions/setup-java/issues/615) in
+[`actions/setup-java`](https://github.com/actions/setup-java).
+
+As recommended [below](#recommended-sbt-settings), you should also specify a `-release` flag in
+`scalacOptions` to ensure that your library is compiled for any older versions of Java you wish
+to support, even if you're taking advantage of a more recent version of Java for _building_ the
+library.
+
 ## `sbt`
 
 ### Recommended `sbt` plugins
@@ -79,10 +103,11 @@ to the workflow.
     to Maven Central.
   * `scalacOptions` should include `-release:11` (available with Scala [2.13.9](https://www.scala-lang.org/news/2.13.9)
     and above, also known as `-java-output-version`
-    [in Scala 3](https://www.scala-lang.org/blog/2022/04/12/scala-3.1.2-released.html#changes-to-other-compatibility-flags)) -
-    the workflow will always use one of the most recent LTS releases of Java
-    [supported by Scala](https://docs.scala-lang.org/overviews/jdk-compatibility/overview.html),
-    but the generated class files will be compatible with whichever version of Java you target.
+    [in Scala 3](https://www.scala-lang.org/blog/2022/04/12/scala-3.1.2-released.html#changes-to-other-compatibility-flags)), or whatever minimum version of Java you want to support.
+    The workflow will _build_ your project with whatever Java version you declare in [`.tool-versions`](#java-version) -
+    but while this can be a relatively new version of Java, in order for your compiled code to support
+    _older_ versions of Java, and avoid `UnsupportedClassVersionError` errors, you'll
+    need to set this flag. See also [Scala/Java compatibility](https://docs.scala-lang.org/overviews/jdk-compatibility/overview.html).
 * Top-level 'release' module - if your project has a [multi-module](https://www.scala-sbt.org/1.x/docs/Multi-Project.html)
   build this could be called 'root', or, if your project only has one module, it and your
   artifact-producing module could be the same thing, and just use top-level settings.