Advanced Workflows: Workflow Templating in GitHub Actions

Introduction

Workflow templating in GitHub Actions allows developers to create reusable workflows. This feature promotes consistency and efficiency in CI/CD processes by allowing teams to standardize their approach to automation.

Key Concepts

• **Workflow Template**: A predefined workflow that can be reused across multiple repositories.
• **Actions**: Reusable code that can be executed as part of a workflow.
• **Inputs**: Parameters that can be passed to templates to customize their behavior.

Creating Workflow Templates

To create a workflow template, follow these steps:

1. Create a new file in the `.github/templates` directory of your repository.

   mkdir -p .github/templates
   touch .github/templates/my-template.yml

2. Define your workflow structure in the YAML file. Here’s an example:

   name: CI Template
   on:
     push:
       branches:
         - main
   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       steps:
         - name: Checkout code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
         - name: Run tests
           run: npm test

3. Commit and push your changes to the repository.

Using Workflow Templates

To use the workflow template created in the previous section:

1. Create a new workflow file in the `.github/workflows` directory.

   touch .github/workflows/ci.yml

2. Reference the template in your workflow file:

   name: CI Workflow
   on:
     push:
       branches:
         - main
   jobs:
     build:
       uses: ./.github/templates/my-template.yml

3. Commit and push your new workflow file.

Best Practices

• Keep templates generic to accommodate different use cases.
• Document inputs and outputs clearly for future reference.
• Version control your templates to track changes over time.

FAQ