fix(slack-notify): render star bullets and link the cut head message to its full text

.github/workflows/release-complete.yml

@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ jobs:
           slack-bot-token: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           slack-channel-id: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CHANNEL_ID }}
           update-ts: ${{ steps.thread.outputs.ts }}
+          cut-link: "[the release](${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/releases/tag/${{ inputs.tag }})"
           message: |
             🎉 *Release ${{ inputs.tag }} — Completed (${{ inputs.env }})* ✅${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID != '' && format(' <!subteam^{0}>', fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID) || '' }}
             ${{ inputs.url != '' && format('*{0}:* {1}', inputs.env, inputs.url) || '' }}

.github/workflows/release-pr-cancel.yml

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ jobs:
           slack-bot-token: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           slack-channel-id: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CHANNEL_ID }}
           update-ts: ${{ steps.thread.outputs.ts }}
+          cut-link: "[the PR](${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }})"
           message: |
             🛑 *${{ github.event.pull_request.title }} — Cancelled*${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID != '' && format(' <!subteam^{0}>', fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID) || '' }}
             *PR:* [${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}](${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }})

.github/workflows/release-pr-refresh.yml

@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ jobs:
           slack-bot-token: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           slack-channel-id: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CHANNEL_ID }}
           update-ts: ${{ steps.markers.outputs.ts }}
+          cut-link: "[the PR](${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }})"
           message: |
             🚀 *${{ github.event.pull_request.title }} — Started*${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID != '' && format(' <!subteam^{0}>', fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID) || '' }}
             *PR:* ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}

.github/workflows/release-start.yml

@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ jobs:
           slack-bot-token: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
           slack-channel-id: ${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CHANNEL_ID }}
           update-ts: ${{ steps.slack.outputs.ts }}
+          cut-link: "[the PR](${{ steps.pr.outputs.url }})"
           message: |
             🚀 *Release ${{ steps.branch.outputs.label }} — Started*${{ fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID != '' && format(' <!subteam^{0}>', fromJSON(steps.op.outputs.secrets).SLACK_CODEOWNERS_GROUP_ID) || '' }}
             *PR:* ${{ steps.pr.outputs.url }}

contracts/interfaces.json

@@ -1300,6 +1300,10 @@
         },
         "slack-notify": {
             "inputs": {
+                "cut-link": {
+                    "required": false,
+                    "default": ""
+                },
                 "message": {
                     "required": true
                 },

steps/slack-notify/action.yml

@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ inputs:
     description: Slack message ts to EDIT (chat.update) instead of posting a new message
     required: false
     default: ""
+  cut-link:
+    description: "Markdown link to the full text, e.g. `[the PR](url)`: a message over Slack's 4,000 characters is cut and ends with `… the rest is in <link>` (`… (truncated)` without one)"
+    required: false
+    default: ""
 
 outputs:
   ts:
@@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ runs:
         SLACK_CHANNEL_ID: ${{ inputs.slack-channel-id }}
         SLACK_THREAD_TS: ${{ inputs.thread-ts }}
         SLACK_UPDATE_TS: ${{ inputs.update-ts }}
+        SLACK_CUT_LINK: ${{ inputs.cut-link }}
         MESSAGE: ${{ inputs.message }}
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail

steps/slack-notify/slackNotify.js

@@ -17,20 +17,25 @@ const markdownToMrkdwn = (text) => {
             .replace(/\*\*(?=\S)([^*\n]+?)(?<=\S)\*\*/g, '*$1*')
             // Convert headers: ## Header -> *Header*
             .replace(/^#{1,6}\s+(.+)$/gm, '*$1*')
-            // Convert list items: - item -> • item
-            .replace(/^-\s+/gm, '• ')
+            // Convert list items, either marker, any nesting: - item / * item -> • item
+            .replace(/^(\s*)[-*]\s+/gm, '$1• ')
     );
 };
 
 // chat.update rejects `text` over 4,000 characters (`msg_too_long`), and a long
 // release changelog gets there. The body is cut at the last line break that fits,
-// so no mrkdwn link is split, and the cut is marked. A short closing paragraph
-// survives the cut: release flags such as the DB-migration warning live there.
+// so no mrkdwn link is split, and the cut is marked — with a link to the full text
+// (the PR, the GitHub release) when the caller passes one. A short closing
+// paragraph survives the cut: release flags such as the DB-migration warning live
+// there.
 const MAX_TEXT_LENGTH = 4000;
 const MAX_KEPT_TAIL_LENGTH = 500;
 const TRUNCATION_MARK = '\n… (truncated)';
 
-const truncateText = (text, limit = MAX_TEXT_LENGTH) => {
+const truncationMark = (cutLink) =>
+    cutLink ? `\n… the rest is in ${cutLink}` : TRUNCATION_MARK;
+
+const truncateText = (text, limit = MAX_TEXT_LENGTH, mark = TRUNCATION_MARK) => {
     if (text.length <= limit) {
         return text;
     }
@@ -43,9 +48,9 @@ const truncateText = (text, limit = MAX_TEXT_LENGTH) => {
         tailStart > 0 && trimmed.length - tailStart <= MAX_KEPT_TAIL_LENGTH
             ? trimmed.slice(tailStart)
             : '';
-    const room = limit - TRUNCATION_MARK.length - tail.length;
+    const room = limit - mark.length - tail.length;
     const lineEnd = trimmed.lastIndexOf('\n', room);
-    return `${trimmed.slice(0, lineEnd > 0 ? lineEnd : room)}${TRUNCATION_MARK}${tail}`;
+    return `${trimmed.slice(0, lineEnd > 0 ? lineEnd : room)}${mark}${tail}`;
 };
 
 // Sanitize untrusted values before logging to avoid log-forging/control chars.
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ const sendMessage = (token, channel, text, threadTs, updateTs) =>
         req.end();
     });
 
-module.exports = { isValidSlackTs, markdownToMrkdwn, truncateText };
+module.exports = { isValidSlackTs, markdownToMrkdwn, truncateText, truncationMark };
 
 // Standalone runner
 if (require.main === module) {
@@ -138,7 +143,8 @@ if (require.main === module) {
     console.log('Sending Slack notification.');
 
     const text = markdownToMrkdwn(message);
-    const fittedText = truncateText(text);
+    const cutLink = markdownToMrkdwn(process.env.SLACK_CUT_LINK || '').trim();
+    const fittedText = truncateText(text, MAX_TEXT_LENGTH, truncationMark(cutLink));
     if (fittedText.length < text.trimEnd().length) {
         console.log(
             `::warning::Slack message truncated from ${text.length} to ${fittedText.length} characters.`,

steps/slack-notify/slackNotify.test.js

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const test = require('node:test');
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
-const { markdownToMrkdwn, truncateText } = require('./slackNotify');
+const { markdownToMrkdwn, truncateText, truncationMark } = require('./slackNotify');
 
 test('converts markdown bold to mrkdwn and leaves mrkdwn bold alone', () => {
     assert.equal(
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ test('converts links, headers and list items', () => {
     );
 });
 
+test('converts star bullets and nested items, and leaves bold alone', () => {
+    assert.equal(
+        markdownToMrkdwn('* **APP-1332**: repair tool ([c91d3a5](https://x.y/c))\n  * nested\n*Header*'),
+        '• *APP-1332*: repair tool (<https://x.y/c|c91d3a5>)\n  • nested\n*Header*',
+    );
+});
+
 test('keeps text within the limit unchanged', () => {
     assert.equal(truncateText('a\nb', 3), 'a\nb');
 });
@@ -47,3 +54,14 @@ test('hard-cuts a single over-limit line', () => {
     assert.equal(truncated.length, 4000);
     assert.ok(truncated.endsWith('\n… (truncated)'));
 });
+
+test('marks the cut with a link to the full text when given one', () => {
+    const mark = truncationMark('<https://x.y/pull/1|the PR>');
+    assert.equal(mark, '\n… the rest is in <https://x.y/pull/1|the PR>');
+    assert.equal(truncationMark(''), '\n… (truncated)');
+
+    const list = Array.from({ length: 200 }, () => '• item').join('\n');
+    const truncated = truncateText(list, 100, mark);
+    assert.ok(truncated.length <= 100);
+    assert.ok(truncated.endsWith(mark));
+});