src/main/kotlin/de/hoennig/werkator/config/BuildDefinition.kt

@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ data class BuildDefinition(
  * When a build runs and for which branches — the `trigger` block of a build definition,
  * and the one part of it that is never inherited from `builds.default`.
  *
- * A definition with neither [onPush] nor [atTimes] never triggers automatically; that is
- * how `builds.default` is written when it is meant as a settings base only.
+ * A definition with neither [onPush] nor [atTimes] nor [afterSuccessOf] never triggers
+ * automatically; that is how `builds.default` is written when it is meant as a settings
+ * base only.
  */
 data class TriggerConfig(
     /** Build every new commit of the selected branches. */
@@ -112,7 +113,19 @@ data class TriggerConfig(
      * empty applies no age filter. Combines with [branches] as an intersection.
      */
     val activeWithin: String = "",
+    /**
+     * Name of another definition of this configuration — the *predecessor*: this build
+     * runs on the predecessor's branch at the predecessor's commit whenever a run of it
+     * ends with `SUCCESS`, whatever started that run (PR#23). Empty means none. Sits in
+     * the trigger block because it says *when* this build runs, so it is never inherited;
+     * and it is host-pinned, because a follow-up build is the host's way to hand
+     * real-world effects — deployment targets, credentials — to a green commit.
+     */
+    val afterSuccessOf: String = "",
 ) {
+    /** True when this build follows another one, see [afterSuccessOf]. */
+    fun isFollowUp(): Boolean = afterSuccessOf.isNotBlank()
+
     /** True when [branch] matches the [branches] patterns (or none are configured) and none excludes it. */
     fun selectsByName(branch: String): Boolean {
         val (excluding, including) = branches.partition { it.startsWith(EXCLUDE_PREFIX) }

src/main/kotlin/de/hoennig/werkator/config/ConfigLoader.kt

@@ -122,15 +122,33 @@ class ConfigLoader(
         // must never stop the server or hold up the branches that are fine
         checkVersion(branchLayer, "the committed .werkator.yml of this branch", BRANCH_HINT)
         checkTriggerBlocks(branchLayer, "the committed .werkator.yml of this branch", BRANCH_HINT)
-        return toConfig(deepMerge(loadRaw(workingDir), stripPinned(branchLayer)))
+        return toConfig(deepMerge(loadRaw(workingDir), stripPinned(branchLayer)), MissingPredecessor.WARN)
     }
 
-    private fun toConfig(raw: Map<String, Any?>): WerkatorConfig {
+    /**
+     * What a follow-up whose predecessor no definition has means for this load, see
+     * [checkFollowUps].
+     */
+    private enum class MissingPredecessor {
+        /** The primary configuration: a deployment that could never fire refuses the start. */
+        REFUSE,
+
+        /** A branch layer on top: the branch renamed or dropped the build the host's trigger names, and only loses its follow-up. */
+        WARN,
+
+        /** A fragment checked on its own: the predecessor may well live in the project config it is merged with later. */
+        SKIP,
+    }
+
+    private fun toConfig(
+        raw: Map<String, Any?>,
+        missingPredecessor: MissingPredecessor = MissingPredecessor.REFUSE,
+    ): WerkatorConfig {
         val config =
             if (raw.isEmpty()) {
                 WerkatorConfig()
             } else {
-                yaml.convertValue(resolveBuildSections(dropNonDefinitionBuilds(raw)), WerkatorConfig::class.java)
+                yaml.convertValue(resolveBuildSections(dropNonDefinitionBuilds(raw), missingPredecessor), WerkatorConfig::class.java)
             }
         return defaultPublicBaseUrl(config)
     }
@@ -225,12 +243,16 @@ class ConfigLoader(
      * an empty docker policy and run natively on the host, which is exactly the escape
      * the pinned keys exist to prevent.
      */
-    private fun resolveBuildSections(raw: Map<String, Any?>): Map<String, Any?> {
+    private fun resolveBuildSections(
+        raw: Map<String, Any?>,
+        missingPredecessor: MissingPredecessor,
+    ): Map<String, Any?> {
         @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
         val definitions = raw["builds"] as? Map<String, Any?> ?: emptyMap()
         if (definitions.isEmpty()) {
             return mergeBranchDefaults(raw)
         }
+        checkFollowUps(definitions, missingPredecessor)
         if (raw.containsKey("branches") && warnedSections.add(LEGACY_BRANCHES_WARNING)) {
             log.warn(
                 "ignoring the branches section: this configuration defines builds, and a build definition " +
@@ -252,13 +274,59 @@ class ConfigLoader(
             return
         }
         if (warnedSections.add(NO_TRIGGER_WARNING)) {
-            log.warn("no build defines onPush or atTimes; the watcher will never start a build on its own")
+            log.warn("no build defines onPush, atTimes, or afterSuccessOf; the watcher will never start a build on its own")
         }
     }
 
     private fun isTriggered(definition: Any?): Boolean {
         val trigger = (definition as? Map<*, *>)?.get("trigger") as? Map<*, *> ?: return false
-        return trigger["onPush"] == true || (trigger["atTimes"] as? List<*>)?.isNotEmpty() == true
+        return trigger["onPush"] == true ||
+            (trigger["atTimes"] as? List<*>)?.isNotEmpty() == true ||
+            predecessorOf(definition) != null
+    }
+
+    private fun predecessorOf(definition: Any?): String? {
+        val trigger = (definition as? Map<*, *>)?.get("trigger") as? Map<*, *> ?: return null
+        return (trigger["afterSuccessOf"] as? String)?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A follow-up build that could never fire must not exist, for the same reason a flat
+     * trigger key is refused: a deployment that silently never runs is worse than a
+     * configuration that refuses to load (PR#23). Refused are a predecessor no definition
+     * has, and a cycle of follow-ups (a build following itself included) — a cycle is a
+     * configuration error whoever wrote it, while a missing predecessor depends on what
+     * is being loaded ([MissingPredecessor]).
+     */
+    private fun checkFollowUps(
+        definitions: Map<String, Any?>,
+        missingPredecessor: MissingPredecessor,
+    ) {
+        val predecessors = definitions.mapValues { (_, definition) -> predecessorOf(definition) }
+        val effective = definitions.keys + BuildDefinition.DEFAULT
+        for ((name, predecessor) in predecessors) {
+            if (predecessor == null || predecessor in effective) continue
+            val message = "builds.$name follows '$predecessor' (trigger.afterSuccessOf), but no build of that name is defined"
+            when (missingPredecessor) {
+                MissingPredecessor.REFUSE -> throw ConfigFormatException("$message. Name an existing build, or remove the follow-up.")
+                MissingPredecessor.WARN -> log.warn("$message on this branch; the follow-up will not run for it")
+                MissingPredecessor.SKIP -> {}
+            }
+        }
+        for (start in predecessors.keys) {
+            val path = mutableListOf(start)
+            var current = predecessors[start]
+            while (current != null && current !in path) {
+                path += current
+                current = predecessors[current]
+            }
+            if (current == start) {
+                throw ConfigFormatException(
+                    "builds.$start follows itself through trigger.afterSuccessOf (${path.joinToString(" -> ")} -> $start); " +
+                        "a follow-up build cannot wait for its own success.",
+                )
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -426,7 +494,10 @@ class ConfigLoader(
         checkVersion(raw, fragment.toString(), ROLLBACK_HINT)
         checkTriggerBlocks(raw, fragment.toString(), ROLLBACK_HINT)
         try {
-            strictYaml.convertValue(resolveBuildSections(dropNonDefinitionBuilds(raw)), WerkatorConfig::class.java)
+            strictYaml.convertValue(
+                resolveBuildSections(dropNonDefinitionBuilds(raw), MissingPredecessor.SKIP),
+                WerkatorConfig::class.java,
+            )
         } catch (e: IllegalArgumentException) {
             throw IllegalArgumentException(
                 "instance fragment $fragment does not match the configuration schema: ${e.message}",
@@ -610,7 +681,7 @@ class ConfigLoader(
         private val TRIGGER_KEYS = setOf("trigger")
 
         /** The keys that moved into [TRIGGER_KEYS]; still writing them flat is refused, not ignored. */
-        private val FLAT_TRIGGER_KEYS = setOf("onPush", "atTimes", "branches", "activeWithin")
+        private val FLAT_TRIGGER_KEYS = setOf("onPush", "atTimes", "branches", "activeWithin", "afterSuccessOf")
 
         /**
          * Top-level sections owned by the instance once a home config exists (ADR 0009):

src/test/kotlin/de/hoennig/werkator/config/ConfigLoaderTest.kt

@@ -739,6 +739,117 @@ class ConfigLoaderTest : FunSpec() {
                 .shouldBeTrue()
         }
 
+        test("afterSuccessOf must name an existing definition and must not form a cycle") {
+            val dir = Files.createTempDirectory("werkator-test")
+            val project = dir.resolve(".werkator.yml").toFile()
+            project.writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  default:
+                    trigger:
+                      onPush: true
+                  deploy:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: default
+                      branches: ["main"]
+                    buildCommand: scripts/deploy.sh
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            // a follow-up with nothing but its predecessor is a triggered build, and it binds
+            val deploy = loader.load(dir).buildDefinitions.getValue("deploy")
+            deploy.trigger.afterSuccessOf shouldBe "default"
+            deploy.trigger.isFollowUp().shouldBeTrue()
+            deploy.trigger.onPush.shouldBeFalse()
+
+            project.writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  deploy:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: frontend
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            shouldThrow<ConfigFormatException> { loader.load(dir) }.message.let {
+                it.shouldContain("builds.deploy")
+                it.shouldContain("frontend")
+            }
+
+            project.writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  a:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: b
+                  b:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: a
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            shouldThrow<ConfigFormatException> { loader.load(dir) }.message.shouldContain("a -> b -> a")
+
+            project.writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  a:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: a
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            shouldThrow<ConfigFormatException> { loader.load(dir) }.message.shouldContain("builds.a follows itself")
+        }
+
+        test("a branch whose layer lacks the predecessor loses only its follow-up") {
+            val dir = Files.createTempDirectory("werkator-test")
+            dir.resolve(".werkator.yml").toFile().writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  frontend:
+                    trigger:
+                      onPush: true
+                  deploy:
+                    trigger:
+                      afterSuccessOf: frontend
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            // the branch renamed the predecessor: a warning, not a failed load — the branch's
+            // own builds must keep running, its follow-up simply never fires for it
+            val config =
+                loader.loadWithBranchLayer(
+                    dir,
+                    """
+                    builds:
+                      frontend: null
+                      ui:
+                        trigger:
+                          onPush: true
+                    """.trimIndent(),
+                )
+            config.buildDefinitions
+                .getValue("ui")
+                .trigger.onPush
+                .shouldBeTrue()
+            config.buildDefinitions
+                .getValue("deploy")
+                .trigger.afterSuccessOf shouldBe "frontend"
+        }
+
+        test("afterSuccessOf written flat is refused like every trigger key") {
+            val dir = Files.createTempDirectory("werkator-test")
+            dir.resolve(".werkator.yml").toFile().writeText(
+                """
+                builds:
+                  default:
+                    trigger:
+                      onPush: true
+                  deploy:
+                    afterSuccessOf: default
+                """.trimIndent(),
+            )
+            val thrown = shouldThrow<ConfigFormatException> { loader.load(dir) }
+            thrown.message.shouldContain("builds.deploy: afterSuccessOf")
+            thrown.message.shouldContain("trigger:")
+        }
+
         test("builds.default is the base of every other build, but never its trigger") {
             val dir = Files.createTempDirectory("werkator-test")
             dir.resolve(".werkator.yml").toFile().writeText(