Core Concepts of GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is a CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) service that allows you to automate your workflow directly within your GitHub repository. It enables developers to create workflows that can build, test, and deploy their code right from GitHub.

1. Workflows

Workflows are automated processes defined in your repository. A workflow is defined by a YAML file located in the `.github/workflows` directory.

2. Triggers

Triggers are events that start a workflow. Common triggers include pushes to a branch, pull requests, or scheduled events.

3. Jobs

Jobs are a set of steps that execute on the same runner. Each job runs in a fresh instance of the virtual environment.

4. Steps

Steps are individual tasks that can run commands or actions, and they make up a job.

5. Actions

Actions are reusable units of code that can be used to build a job. You can use predefined actions from the GitHub Marketplace or create your own.

To create a workflow, follow these steps:

1. Create a directory named .github in the root of your repository.
2. Inside the .github directory, create another directory named workflows.
3. Create a new YAML file in the workflows directory (e.g., ci.yml).
4. Define your workflow in the YAML file.

name: CI

on: [push, pull_request]

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

The basic structure of a workflow YAML file includes:

• name: The name of the workflow.
• on: Defines the events that trigger the workflow.
• jobs: Defines the jobs to run as part of the workflow.
• steps: The sequence of tasks to execute in each job.

Here are some best practices for using GitHub Actions:

• Use reusable workflows for common tasks.
• Keep your workflows organized and documented.
• Limit the scope of your workflows to specific events.
• Use caching to speed up your workflows.
• Monitor your workflows and address any failures promptly.