Understanding Workflows in GitHub Actions

1. What is a Workflow?

A workflow in GitHub Actions is an automated process that you define in your repository. It can be triggered by various events, such as pushes, pull requests, or scheduled times. Workflows consist of one or more jobs that run sequentially or in parallel.

2. Workflow Structure

Each workflow file must contain the following key elements:

• name: A name for your workflow.
• on: Specifies the events that trigger the workflow.
• jobs: A collection of jobs that define what the workflow will do.

Example Workflow

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

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

3. Creating a Workflow

To create a workflow, follow these steps:

1. Create a new file in your repository at `.github/workflows/.yml`.
2. Define the workflow structure as shown in the previous section.
3. Commit the file to your repository.

4. Best Practices for Workflows

Consider the following best practices when working with GitHub Actions workflows:

• Keep workflows simple and focused on a single task.
• Use reusable workflows to avoid duplication.
• Leverage caching to speed up build times.
• Monitor workflow runs for failures and address issues promptly.

5. FAQ