GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is a powerful automation tool integrated into GitHub that allows you to automate your software development workflows. With GitHub Actions, you can build, test, and deploy your code directly from GitHub.

Introduction

GitHub Actions enables you to create custom workflows that automate various tasks in your development process. These workflows are defined in YAML files and can be triggered by different events such as push, pull request, or on a schedule.

Topics to Learn

1. Getting Started with GitHub Actions

• Introduction to GitHub Actions
  • Course: https://skills.github.com/#automate-workflows-with-github-actions
• Setting up your first workflow
• Understanding the YAML syntax

2. Core Concepts

   • Actions
   • Workflows
   • Jobs
   • Steps
   • Runners

3. Creating and Using Actions

   • Writing custom actions
   • Using actions from the GitHub Marketplace
   • Sharing actions with the community

4. Workflow Syntax and Configuration

   • Defining workflows in YAML
   • Triggering workflows with events
   • Using environment variables and secrets

5. Advanced Workflows

   • Matrix builds
   • Conditional execution
   • Reusing workflows with workflow_call

6. Testing and Debugging

   • Running workflows locally
   • Debugging failed workflows
   • Best practices for testing actions

7. Security and Permissions

   • Managing access to workflows
   • Using secrets securely
   • Understanding permissions for actions

8. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

   • Setting up CI/CD pipelines
   • Automating testing and deployment
   • Integrating with other CI/CD tools

GitHub Actions vs. Workflows

• GitHub Actions: These are individual tasks that can be combined to create a custom workflow. Actions are reusable components that perform specific tasks, such as checking out code, setting up a Node.js environment, or deploying to a cloud provider.

• Workflows: These are automated processes defined in YAML files that specify the sequence of actions to be performed. A workflow can consist of multiple jobs, and each job can have multiple steps. Workflows are triggered by events such as push, pull request, or on a schedule.

In summary, GitHub Actions are the building blocks that you use to create workflows. A workflow is a collection of actions organized in a specific sequence to automate tasks in your development process.

By learning these topics, you'll be able to harness the full power of GitHub Actions to streamline your development workflows and improve your productivity.