Automating Workflows with GitHub Actions

Build, test, and deploy code right from your GitHub repository by automating, customizing, and executing software development workflows with GitHub Actions

Key Features

• Enhance your CI/CD and DevOps workflows using GitHub Actions
• Discover how to create custom GitHub Actions using Docker and JavaScript
• Get up and running with building a CI/CD pipeline effectively

Book Description

GitHub Actions is one of the most popular products that enables you to automate development tasks and improve your software development workflow. Automating Workflows with GitHub Actions uses real-world examples to help you automate everyday tasks and use your resources efficiently.

This book takes a practical approach to helping you develop the skills needed to create complex YAML files to automate your daily tasks. You'll learn how to find and use existing workflows, allowing you to get started with GitHub Actions right away. Moving on, you'll discover complex concepts and practices such as self-hosted runners and writing workflow files that leverage other platforms such as Docker as well as programming languages such as Java and JavaScript. As you advance, you'll be able to write your own JavaScript, Docker, and composite run steps actions, and publish them in GitHub Marketplace! You'll also find instructions to migrate your existing CI/CD workflows into GitHub Actions from platforms like Travis CI and GitLab. Finally, you'll explore tools that'll help you stay informed of additions to GitHub Actions along with finding technical support and staying engaged with the community.

By the end of this GitHub book, you'll have developed the skills and experience needed to build and maintain your own CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions.

What you will learn

• Get to grips with the basics of GitHub and the YAML syntax
• Understand key concepts of GitHub Actions
• Find out how to write actions for JavaScript and Docker environments
• Discover how to create a self-hosted runner
• Migrate from other continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) platforms to GitHub Actions
• Collaborate with the GitHub Actions community and find technical help to navigate technical difficulties
• Publish your workflows in GitHub Marketplace

Who this book is for

This book is for anyone involved in the software development life cycle, for those looking to learn about GitHub Actions and what can be accomplished, and for those who want to develop a new skill to help them advance their software development career. If you are new to GitHub and GitHub Actions in general, then this book is for you. Basic knowledge of GitHub as a platform will help you to get the most out of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Learning the foundations for GitHub Actions
2. Deep-diving into GitHub Actions
3. A closer look at Workflows
4. Working with Self-hosted runners
5. Writing your own actions
6. Marketplace: Finding Existing Actions and Publishing Your Own
7. Migrations
8. Contributing to the community and finding help
9. The future of GitHub Actions

Priscila Heller was born and raised in Brazil, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. She moved to the United States in 2011, where she has been living ever since. After working in many different fields, she found a career opportunity in Tech, and went back to school to pursue a degree in Information System Technology. In 2016 Priscila joined GitHub as an Enterprise Support Agent. Over the years she was promoted a few times, and today she is a Senior Manager of Premium Support.

Priscila believes in the power of technology, education, and communication. She considers the democratization of knowledge and information to be invaluable for the cultural, social, economic, and scientific development of society and humanity.