Getting Started with Github Action Workflows

Introduction

Github Actions is a continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) tool provided by Github. It allows users to automate their software development processes by creating custom workflows. These workflows can be triggered by events such as code commits, pull requests, or scheduled intervals.

The main benefit of using Github Actions is that it allows developers to automate repetitive or manual tasks, saving time and effort. This can lead to more efficient and productive software development. Additionally, Github Actions enables teams to establish a consistent and standardized process for building, testing, and deploying their code.

Getting Started with Github Action Workflows

• Set up a Github repository: To create a new repository on Github, click on the “New” button in the top right corner of your Github homepage. Give your repository a name and a short description. Choose whether you want it to be public or private. Once you have entered all the necessary information, click on the “Create repository” button.

• Create a workflow file: After your repository is created, click on the “Actions” tab on the top menu of your repository. Then, click on the “New workflow” button. Choose a workflow template or start from scratch. Give your workflow a name and a description. Then, click on the “Start commit” button to create the workflow file.

• Configure workflow triggers and actions: In the workflow file, you can set up triggers to automatically run the workflow based on specific events, such as a new pull request or a push to a certain branch. You can also configure the actions that should be performed when the workflow is triggered. Actions can include building and testing code, deploying applications, or sending out notifications.

• Run and monitor workflows: To run a workflow, click on the “Run workflow” button in the top right corner of the workflow file. You can also schedule a workflow to run at specific times using the cron syntax. You can monitor the progress of your workflow by clicking on the workflow run and viewing the logs and status of each action.

• Manage and review workflow results: After the workflow is completed, you can review the results by clicking on the workflow run and viewing the logs and status of each action. If there are any errors or failures, you can make changes to your workflow file and run it again. You can also track the overall performance of your workflows over time using the “Insights” tab in your repository.

Examples of common Github Action Workflows

• Continuous Integration and Deployment Workflow

This workflow is triggered every time a new commit is made to the repository and automates the process of building, testing, and deploying the code to the desired environment.

```
name: CI/CD Workflow

on:
push:
branches: [main]

jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v2
with:
node-version: '12.x'
- name: Install dependencies
run: npm install
- name: Build code
run: npm run build
- name: Run tests
run: npm run test
- name: Deploy to staging
run: npm run deploy --stage=staging
- name: Deploy to production
if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
run: npm run deploy --stage=production
```

2. Code Quality Checks and Testing Workflow

This workflow runs on a specific schedule (e.g. daily or weekly) and performs code quality checks and automated testing to ensure the codebase is maintainable and functional.

```
name: Code Quality Checks & Testing

on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 0   *'

jobs:
code-quality-checks:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Run linting
run: npm run lint
- name: Run code coverage
run: npm run test -- --coverage
- name: Upload coverage report
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
with:
name: code-coverage-report
path: coverage/
```

3. Scheduled Tasks and Notifications Workflow
- This workflow is triggered on a specific schedule and performs tasks such as updating dependencies, sending notifications to collaborators, and pruning old branches.

```
name: Scheduled Tasks & Notifications

on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 0   *'

jobs:
update-dependencies:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v2
with:
node-version: '12.x'
- name: Update dependencies
run: npm update
send-notifications:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v2
with:
node-version: '12.x'
- name: Send notifications
run: npm run send-notifications
prune-branches:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Prune old branches
run: git remote prune origin --dry-run
```

Advanced features and customization options

Custom Actions and Workflows from the Github Marketplace: The Github Marketplace offers a wide range of custom actions and workflows that can be integrated into your projects to streamline your development process. These actions and workflows are developed and maintained by third-party developers and can be easily added to your workflows by simply specifying them in your workflow configuration file. Some of the popular custom actions and workflows in the GitHub Marketplace include automatic code review and linting, automated testing and code coverage, deployment to hosting services, and many more.

Secrets Management and Security Best Practices: Github Actions provide a convenient way to automate your development process, but it is important to ensure that sensitive data such as API keys, personal access tokens, and other credentials are not exposed. GitHub provides a feature called “secrets” to securely store and access sensitive information in your workflows. These secrets can be encrypted and only specified action or workflow can access them. It is important to follow security best practices and avoid hardcoding secrets in your workflows or committing them to your repository.

Integrating Third-Party Tools and Services with GitHub Action Workflows: GitHub Actions allow you to integrate with third-party tools and services to automate various tasks in your development process. These integrations can be achieved by using custom actions and workflows from the Marketplace or by creating your own actions to connect with the API of the desired tool or service. Some common integrations include deployment to cloud hosting services, notification to communication tools, and automatic code reviews by code analysis tools.