Introduction to GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions allows you to automate tasks directly within your GitHub repository. A workflow is a series of automated steps defined in a .yml file, located in the .github/workflows/ directory of your project. Basic Requirements of a Workflow To create a valid workflow in GitHub Actions, there are a few essential components that must be present: Workflow Name (name): Every workflow should have a unique name that identifies it. This helps in distinguishing between different workflows in the repository. Trigger Event (on): The workflow must specify when it should run. This is defined under the on field. Common events include: push: Triggered when you push code to the repository. pull_request: Triggered when a pull request is opened or updated. workflow_dispatch: Allows you to trigger a workflow manually. Job Definition (jobs): A workflow contains jobs, which are units of work executed in the workflow. Each job must have: Name of the job: To identify the job within the workflow. OS environment (runs-on): This defines which operating system the job will run on. Popular options include ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, and macos-latest. Without specifying an OS, the workflow cannot run, as the steps need a virtual environment (like Ubuntu) to execute. Steps: Each job is made up of steps, which are individual tasks to be executed in the workflow. These steps can include commands (like echo), GitHub-provided actions, or third-party actions. 1. First Workflow (workflow.yml) Name: First Workflow This workflow runs automatically on a push to the main branch. It meets all the basic workflow requirements: it has a name, trigger, OS environment, and steps. Name: First Workflow is the identifier for this workflow. name: First Workflow Trigger (on): The workflow will run when there’s a push to the main branch. on: push: branches: - main Jobs: The workflow defines one job called first-workflow. jobs: first-workflow: runs-on: ubuntu-latest The runs-on field specifies that the job will run on Ubuntu (the latest version). This is required to provide an environment where the steps will be executed. Steps: There are two steps in this job: First Step: This step prints three messages to the console. Second Step: Prints a message indicating that this is the second step. steps: - name: First Step run: | echo "this is first step" echo "Hello GH actions" echo "Do or Die" - name: Second Step run: | echo "yeah I am on the second step" Summary: This workflow runs automatically when code is pushed to the main branch and executes two steps that print messages in the console. 2. Manual Workflow (manual-workflow.yml) Name: Manual Workflow This workflow can be triggered manually by a user from GitHub’s interface. It also satisfies the basic workflow requirements: name, trigger, OS, and steps. Name: Manual Workflow is the name for this workflow. name: Manual Workflow Trigger (on): This workflow uses workflow_dispatch, which means it can be triggered manually via the GitHub Actions interface. on: workflow_dispatch: Jobs: The workflow defines a job called first-workflow, which also runs on the latest version of Ubuntu (ubuntu-latest). jobs: first-workflow: runs-on: ubuntu-latest Steps: There is only one step in this workflow, which prints three messages to the console. steps: - name: First Step run: | echo "this is first step" echo "Hello GH actions" echo "Do or Die" Summary: This workflow can be started manually via the GitHub interface and prints messages to the console when executed. Key Points to Remember: Basic Workflow Structure: Name: Each workflow needs a name. Trigger (on): Workflows must have a trigger event (like push or workflow_dispatch). Jobs and OS Environment (runs-on): Each job must specify an OS environment to run on, such as ubuntu-latest. Without this, the workflow won’t be able to run. Steps: Define the individual tasks that will be executed in the job. Differences Between the Two Workflows: The First Workflow is triggered automatically on a push to the main branch, whereas the Manual Workflow is triggered manually. follow me : Github

  name: First Workflow

  on:
    push:
      branches:
        - main

  jobs:
    first-workflow:
      runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: First Step
        run: |
          echo "this is first step"
          echo "Hello GH actions"
          echo "Do or Die"

      - name: Second Step
        run: |
          echo "yeah I am on the second step"

  name: Manual Workflow

  on:
    workflow_dispatch:

  jobs:
    first-workflow:
      runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: First Step
        run: |
          echo "this is first step"
          echo "Hello GH actions"
          echo "Do or Die"

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