Workflow Automation with GitHub Actions

Introduction

GitHub Actions is a powerful automation tool that allows you to create workflows to build, test, and deploy your code directly from your GitHub repository. This lesson covers the advanced features of workflow automation using GitHub Actions.

Key Concepts

• Workflow: A configurable automated process made up of one or more jobs.
• Job: A set of steps that execute on the same runner.
• Step: A single task that can run commands or actions.
• Runner: A server that runs your workflows when triggered.
• Event: A specific activity that triggers your workflow (e.g., push, pull_request).

Creating Workflows

To create a new workflow, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your GitHub repository.
2. Go to the Actions tab.
3. Click on New workflow.
4. Choose a template or set up a workflow yourself.
5. Define your workflow in a YAML file (e.g., .github/workflows/ci.yml).

Basic YAML Structure

name: CI

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
        
      - name: Run build
        run: npm install

Best Practices

• Keep workflows modular by separating tasks into different jobs.
• Utilize caching to speed up workflows.
• Use secrets to manage sensitive information securely.
• Test your workflows regularly to ensure they function as expected.

FAQ