05.Actions

Workshops 5 - Github Actions

This workshop is an introduction about devOps and continuous Integration (CI).

You'll learn the base of the CI thanks to github actions, but also some good practices and coding method.

Step 0: Put the bases

We will create a CI for a simple Epitech project: do-op. We have unit-tests and functional tests.

The finality is to execute those tests on pull_request from dev to master. It's an easy way to verify the code evaluated by "Marvin".

In order to setup your workflow, in your repository:

• complete the setup
• create a branch dev
• checkout in branch dev
• create a directory .github/workflows

Commonly, .github folder also contains an assets directory that stores your png used in README ect, another folder: ISSUE_TEMPLATE can be useful to setup template of bug_report or feature...

Thanks to the Makefile, your objective is to run unit-tests and functional tests in the epitest docker image. We will create the same behavior in your CI so it's cool to understand steps first.

You can create a container thanks to the command: sudo docker run --rm -it -v $PWD:/home/ -w /home epitechcontent/epitest-docker /bin/zsh. It will setup a shell in the container.

Now, run tests in the container

Check the Makefile to find the good command

Your CI will do the same things, but automatically in a github runner

Step 1: Your first action

Now it's time ! To begin with, you'll do a simple action by following these steps

Setup workflow

Create a file named test.yaml in the folder .github/workflows

Write a github Action with the following properties:

• name: Tests
• trigger event: push on branches dev and main
• one job called hello-world which run on ubuntu-20.04

First step

Add a step called Say hello world which will execute the bash command "echo Welcome to the Github Actions workshop !". Push your work and check on https://github.com/<your-github-username>/<your-repository>/actions.

Congratulation, you've written your first action !

Check the help about workflow syntax here

Step 2: Run test

Now, we want to test our do-op, the objective is to run tests after push

Add a new job called unit-test composed of 3 steps:

• Checkout repository thanks to checkout action
• Run unit-tests
• Run coverage

Use command from step 0 to run tests

⚠️ Your job must run on a container that support Criterion, use the Epitech image

Don't forget to define a name for each step, it's important to clarify your workflow.

A tip that can help you to run a job in a container

Step 3: Artifact

Your tests run it's cool, but it's better to save information from your workflow.

A basic way to do that is an artifact.

Modify your previous job to redirect test and coverage output into file then add a new step which uploads a file from coverage file.

Your artifact must be called coverage_outputs.

The step must run even if previous steps fail.

Find help about condition here

Step 4: Functional test

The last step is about functional test (a good CI never lack of tests).

Write a new job in test.yaml that run functional test and upload result in an artifact named function-tests_outputs.

You should do 3 steps:

• Checkout
• Run functional tests
• Upload artifacts

You can use steps from the previous exercise to help you.

In order to win time, your CI must now be triggered on pull_request on branches dev or master. You must also protect your branch master from merge if the pull request isn't approved by peer (it's really useful when you work in group)

Congratulation, you have setup a clean workflow to do your Epitech project, us this to keep your project away from bad surprise.

To go further

You've learned how make a continuous integration (CI). But remember, there is also continuous development !

Try to create a CD of this project, for example you can:

• Create an image of the program with a Dockerfile
• Create a new workflow that wait test to be successful and then build and push the image on docker hub or github package

If you like web development, you can:

• Create a little API
• Create a Postman collection to test your API
• Create a workflow that test your API thanks to Newman Action

You can also check these links

• Marketplace
• Documentation
• Write your own action

Authors

Tom Chauveau	Paul Monnery

Organization

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