Automating with GitHub Actions

When to use this skill

• When the user asks to setup CI/CD pipeline.
• When the user wants to run tests, linting, or build steps on every commit/PR.
• When the user wants to deploy to Vercel, Docker Hub, or other platforms automatically.
• When the user asks about .github/workflows.

Workflow

1. Workflow Creation:
   • Create .github/workflows/main.yml.
   • Define on: triggers (push, pull_request, schedule).
   • Define jobs: (build, test, deploy).
2. Job Steps:
   • Checkout code: - uses: actions/checkout@v4
   • Setup environment: - uses: actions/setup-node@v4 (or python/go/java).
   • Install dependencies: npm ci (clean install).
   • Run scripts: npm test, npm run build.
3. Secrets Management:
   • Store sensitive data in Repo Settings > Secrets and Variables > Actions.
   • Access via ${{ secrets.MY_SECRET }}.

Instructions

Basic Node.js CI Workflow

name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '20'
          cache: 'npm'
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm run lint
      - run: npm test
      - run: npm run build

Deployment (e.g., to Vercel)

      - name: Deploy to Vercel
        uses: amondnet/vercel-action@v20
        with:
          vercel-token: ${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}
          vercel-org-id: ${{ secrets.ORG_ID }}
          vercel-project-id: ${{ secrets.PROJECT_ID }}

Scheduled Cron Job

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * *' # Every day at midnight

Resources

• GitHub Actions Documentation
• Workflow Syntax
• Awesome Actions