dependency-update

name	dependency-update
description	Check and update Maven dependencies. Use when upgrading libraries, verifying Spring Boot/Cloud BOM compatibility, running Dependabot-like checks locally, or planning version upgrades. Validates builds and updates documentation.

Dependency Update Workflow

When to Use

• Periodic dependency freshness check
• After Dependabot PRs to verify compatibility
• Before a release to ensure all dependencies are current
• When upgrading Spring Boot or Spring Cloud versions

Procedure

Step 1: Analyze Current Dependencies

Read pom.xml and catalog all dependencies AND plugins with explicit versions vs BOM-managed versions. Key explicitly-versioned dependencies to check:

• spring-boot-starter-solace-client-config
• jakarta.annotation-api
• junit-pioneer
• testcontainers-solace and testcontainers-*
• okhttp
• swagger-codegen-maven-plugin
• swagger-annotations, swagger-core, swagger-models
• gson
• wavefront-sdk-java
• All Maven plugins with explicit versions (e.g. maven-source-plugin, central-publishing-maven-plugin)

Step 2: Check for Updates

For each explicitly-versioned dependency and plugin:

• Check Maven Central for the latest stable release via web search (skip RC/alpha/beta)
• Only update if the version is actually available and downloadable from Maven Central
• Verify compatibility with the current Spring Boot and Spring Cloud BOMs
• Assess risk level: patch (safe), minor (review changelog), major (breaking — review carefully)

Step 3: Apply Updates

For approved updates:

1. Update the version in pom.xml
2. Run build verification:

   mvn verify "-Dgpg.skip" -DskipTests
   

   Note: Use -Dgpg.skip because GPG signing is not available in dev environments.
3. If build succeeds, run tests:

   mvn test-compile -P it_tests && mvn test -DskipITs -P it_tests > maven_tests.log 2>&1
   

4. If tests pass, run integration tests:

   mvn -B verify -Dmaven.test.skip=false -P it_tests --file pom.xml > maven_it_tests.log 2>&1
   

5. Parse results: tail -20 maven_tests.log and grep -E "Tests run:|BUILD" maven_tests.log

Step 3b: Update Examples

All example projects under examples/ must also be updated:

1. Check all explicitly-versioned dependencies and plugins in example pom.xml files (e.g. testcontainers-solace.version, maven-failsafe-plugin, spring-boot-starter-parent)
2. For each, check Maven Central for the latest stable release (same rules as Step 2)
3. Apply all applicable updates across all example pom.xml files
4. Verify examples still compile after updates

Step 4: Version Bump

After successful mvn verify, bump the project version to the next patch release:

1. Update <version> in pom.xml (e.g. 9.0.0 → 9.0.1)
2. Update the Maven dependency snippet in README.md to the new version

Step 5: Update Documentation

README.md — Version Compatibility Table

• Only ADD a new line at the top of the table for the new version
• NEVER modify or replace existing lines in the table — they are historical records
• Update the Maven dependency snippet <version> to the new version

CHANGELOG.md

• First check if CHANGELOG.md exists in the repository
• If it exists, add a new version entry (e.g. ## [9.0.1] - 2026-04-20) with a ### Changed section listing all dependency updates
• Do NOT use [Unreleased] — use the concrete version number and today's date directly

Step 6: Verify Dependabot Coverage

Check .github/dependabot.yml to ensure new dependencies are covered by automated updates.

Step 7: Verify CI

gh run list --limit 5