Tag: GitHub Actions

Understanding GitHub Actions – A Look into the YAML file used.

GitHub Actions is a feature offered by GitHub that allows you to automate tasks, and build, test, and deploy code directly from your repositories. Actions are event-driven and can be triggered by a variety of events such as push, pull request, issue comments, etc. The configuration file for GitHub Actions is written in YAML format. YAML is a human-readable data serialization format used to store configuration data in a structured way.

In this article, we’ll discuss the YAML format for GitHub Actions and explore the different keywords and triggers used by GitHub Actions.

YAML format for GitHub Actions

The YAML format for GitHub Actions is a structured configuration file that consists of a series of jobs. Each job defines a set of steps to perform, which can include building, testing, and deploying your code. Here’s an example YAML configuration file for GitHub Actions:

name: My GitHub Action
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Build
        run: |
          mkdir build
          cd build
          cmake ..
          make

In this example, the YAML file starts with a name key that defines the name of the GitHub Action. The on key specifies the event that triggers the GitHub Action, which in this case is a push to the main branch. The jobs key contains a list of jobs to run, and in this case, there is only one job called build. The build job runs on an ubuntu-latest virtual machine, and its steps include checking out the code, creating a build directory, running cmake, and finally building the code using make.

Keywords and triggers

Let’s take a closer look at some of the keywords and triggers used by GitHub Actions.

Name

The name key specifies the name of the GitHub Action. This is an optional key, but it’s a good practice to give your GitHub Actions a descriptive name.

On

The on key specifies the events that trigger the GitHub Action. There are many different events that you can use to trigger your GitHub Action, including push, pull_request, schedule, and many more. Here’s an example of how to use the on key to trigger a GitHub Action on a push to the main branch:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

In this example, the GitHub Action will trigger whenever a push is made to the main branch.

Jobs

The jobs key contains a list of jobs to run. Each job can have its own set of steps to perform. Here’s an example of a job called build:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Build
        run: |
          mkdir build
          cd build
          cmake ..
          make

In this example, the build job runs on an ubuntu-latest virtual machine, and its steps include checking out the code, creating a build directory, running cmake, and finally building the code using make.

Steps

The steps key defines the set of steps to perform for a job. Each step can be a shell command or a reference to an action defined in a separate repository. Here’s an example of a step that runs a shell command:

steps:
  - name: Build
    run: |
      mkdir build
      cd build
      cmake ..
      make

In this example, the step is called Build, and it runs a series of shell commands to

create a build directory, change to the build directory, run cmake, and finally build the code using make.

You can also reference an action defined in a separate repository using the uses key. Here’s an example of how to use the uses key to reference an action from the actions/checkout repository:

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v2

In this example, the step uses the actions/checkout@v2 action to checkout the code from the repository.

Runs-on

The runs-on key specifies the type of virtual machine to run the job on. GitHub Actions supports many different virtual machine types, including Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS. Here’s an example of how to use the runs-on key to run a job on an Ubuntu virtual machine:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

In this example, the build job runs on an ubuntu-latest virtual machine.

Environment

The environment key specifies the environment variables to set for a job. Here’s an example of how to use the environment key to set the NODE_ENV environment variable:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production

In this example, the build job runs on an ubuntu-latest virtual machine and sets the NODE_ENV environment variable to production.

Secrets

The secrets key specifies the secrets to use in a job. Secrets are encrypted environment variables that you can use to store sensitive data, such as API keys and access tokens. Here’s an example of how to use the secrets key to specify a secret:

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Deploy
        uses: my-action/deploy@v1
        env:
          API_KEY: ${{ secrets.API_KEY }}

In this example, the deploy job uses an action called my-action/deploy@v1 and sets the API_KEY environment variable to the value of the API_KEY secret.

Outputs

The outputs key specifies the outputs of a job. Outputs are variables that can be used by other jobs or workflows. Here’s an example of how to use the outputs key to specify an output:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Build
        run: make
        id: build
      - name: Get version
        run: |
          echo "::set-output name=version::$(grep -oP 'version: \K.*' package.yaml)"
        id: version
    outputs:
      version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}

In this example, the build job runs the make command and sets the output of the Get version step to the version variable. The outputs key specifies that the version output should be used in other jobs or workflows.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the YAML format for GitHub Actions and explored the different keywords and triggers used by GitHub Actions. The YAML format for GitHub Actions provides a flexible and powerful way to automate tasks, build, test, and deploy your code directly from your repositories. By understanding the different keywords and triggers used by GitHub Actions, you can create more advanced workflows that can help streamline your development process.

Using Django Codespaces in GitHub – A How To Guide with GitHub Actions

Django Codespaces is a feature of GitHub that allows developers to create a cloud-based development environment for their Django projects. This means that you can write code, test it, and deploy it without leaving GitHub. In this article, we will go over the steps to create a Django Codespace on GitHub and use GitHub actions to automate some of the tasks.

Creating a Django Codespace on GitHub

To create a Django Codespace on GitHub, follow these steps:

  1. Create a new repository: Navigate to your GitHub account and create a new repository. Give it a name and a brief description.
  2. Enable Codespaces: Go to the settings of your repository and select the “Codespaces” tab. Click on the “Enable Codespaces” button.
  3. Choose a configuration: You will be prompted to choose a configuration file for your Codespace. GitHub provides some preconfigured templates, but you can also use your own custom configuration. For Django projects, we recommend using the “Python” configuration.
  4. Create a Codespace: Once you have selected your configuration file, you can create your Codespace by clicking on the “New Codespace” button. This will create a new cloud-based development environment for your Django project.
  5. Start coding: Now that your Codespace is set up, you can start coding. You can access your Codespace by clicking on the “Open in Codespaces” button on your repository’s main page.

Using GitHub Actions to Automate Tasks

GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate tasks such as building, testing, and deploying their code. Here are some examples of how you can use GitHub Actions to automate tasks for your Django project:

  1. Running Tests: To run tests automatically every time you push code to your repository, you can create a GitHub Action that uses the Django test runner. Here’s an example configuration file:
name: Run Tests

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
        with:
          python-version: '3.9'
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: Run Tests
        run: python manage.py test

This configuration file sets up a job that runs on every push to the “main” branch. It checks out the code, sets up Python, installs dependencies, and runs the tests using the Django test runner.

  1. Deploying to a Server: To automatically deploy your Django project to a server every time you push code to your repository, you can create a GitHub Action that uses a deployment tool such as Ansible. Here’s an example configuration file:
name: Deploy to Server

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: pip install -r requirements.txt
      - name: Deploy
        uses: appleboy/ansible-action@v1
        with:
          playbook: deploy.yml
          inventory: production
          become: yes
          extra-vars: |
            server_user={{ secrets.SERVER_USER }}
            server_host={{ secrets.SERVER_HOST }}
            server_port={{ secrets.SERVER_PORT }}

This configuration file sets up a job that runs on every push to the “main” branch. It checks out the code, installs dependencies, and deploys the

GitHub CodeSpaces for React Developers with GitHub Actions

GitHub Codespaces is a cloud-based development environment that allows you to develop code without the need to set up a local development environment. With GitHub Codespaces, you can create a virtual development environment that is preconfigured with the tools and dependencies you need to start building your application. This article will cover how to set up a GitHub Codespace for a React project and how to integrate GitHub Actions into your workflow.

Setting Up a GitHub Codespace for React

To set up a GitHub Codespace for a React project, follow these steps:

  1. Create a new repository on GitHub for your React project.
  2. Navigate to the “Code” tab of your repository and click the “Code” button.
  3. In the “Open with Codespaces” dropdown, select “New Codespace”.
  4. GitHub will automatically configure your Codespace with the necessary tools and dependencies to run a basic React application. You can also specify your own custom configuration by creating a devcontainer.json file in your project’s root directory. This file can be used to specify the tools and dependencies that your project needs.
  5. Once your Codespace is created, you can access it by clicking the “Codespaces” tab in the left sidebar of your GitHub repository.

Integrating GitHub Actions into Your Workflow

GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that allows you to automate tasks and build workflows for your projects. You can use GitHub Actions to run tests, deploy your application, or perform other tasks as part of your development workflow. Here’s how to integrate GitHub Actions into your React project:

  1. Create a new file named “main.yml” in a new directory called “.github/workflows” in your project’s root directory.
  2. Add the following code to the “main.yml” file:
name: CI
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Use Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      with:
        node-version: '14'
    - run: npm install
    - run: npm test

This code creates a simple workflow that will run tests whenever changes are pushed to or a pull request is opened against the main branch of your repository.

  1. Commit and push the “main.yml” file to your repository.
  2. Navigate to the “Actions” tab in your GitHub repository to see your workflow in action.

GitHub Codespaces and GitHub Actions are powerful tools that can greatly simplify your development workflow for React projects. By creating a virtual development environment with Codespaces and automating tasks with Actions, you can focus on building your application without worrying about the setup and maintenance of your development environment.

GitHub Codespaces for Jupyter Notebooks – An Intro and How To Guide

GitHub Codespaces is a cloud-based development environment that allows developers to easily set up a development environment within the browser. It allows you to create, edit, and run your code directly from your browser, without the need for additional software or hardware. This is especially helpful when working with Jupyter Notebooks, which require a specific setup to run locally.

In this article, we will walk through the process of setting up a GitHub Codespace for Jupyter Notebooks and integrating it with GitHub Actions to automate the process.

Setting Up a GitHub Codespace for Jupyter Notebooks

Before we dive into the setup, it is important to note that GitHub Codespaces is still in beta, and may have certain limitations. Additionally, you will need a GitHub account to proceed.

  1. Navigate to the repository where you want to create a Codespace.
  2. Click on the “Code” button on the repository page.
  3. Click on the “Open with Codespaces” dropdown button.
  4. Choose “New Codespace”.
  5. Customize your Codespace settings. Choose the operating system, version of Python, and other tools you want to include in the environment.
  6. Click on “Create Codespace”.
  7. Once your Codespace is created, you can open the Jupyter Notebook by clicking on the “Open Jupyter Notebook” button.

Integrating GitHub Actions

With GitHub Actions, you can automate the process of building and testing your code. In this section, we will show you how to create a GitHub Action that sets up the Codespace and runs the Jupyter Notebook.

  1. Navigate to the repository and click on the “Actions” tab.
  2. Click on the “Set up a workflow yourself” button.
  3. Add the following code to the “YAML” file:
name: Jupyter Notebook

on: [push]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Setup Codespace
        uses: actions/setup-codespaces@v2
        with:
          codespace-name: "My Codespace"
          image: "github.com/my-org/my-repo#main:.devcontainer/devcontainer.json"
          personal-access-token: ${{ secrets.CODING_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
      - name: Run Jupyter Notebook
        run: |
          jupyter notebook --ip=0.0.0.0 --no-browser --port=8888 --allow-root


This will create a GitHub Action that sets up the Codespace, runs the Jupyter Notebook, and then saves the results to the repository.

Save the YAML file.

Go to the “Secrets” tab and add a new secret called “CODING_ACCESS_TOKEN”. This is a personal access token that is used to authenticate the GitHub Actions workflow. You can generate a new personal access token by going to your GitHub profile settings, selecting “Developer settings”, and then clicking on “Personal access tokens”.

Push your code to the repository to trigger the GitHub Action.

In this article, we have shown you how to set up a GitHub Codespace for Jupyter Notebooks, and how to integrate it with GitHub Actions to automate the process. This can save a lot of time and make the development process more efficient, especially when working on complex projects.

GitHub Actions – An Overview of GitHubs Most Powerful Feature

GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that enables developers to automate workflows, test code, and deploy projects on the GitHub platform. By providing a simple way to automate repetitive tasks, GitHub Actions has revolutionized the way developers work, and has made it easier than ever to manage code repositories.

GitHub Actions works by defining workflows, which are a set of automated tasks that are triggered by certain events. For example, you can set up a workflow to run tests every time code is pushed to a repository, or to deploy a project to a production server when a new release is tagged. Workflows are defined using YAML syntax, which is a simple and human-readable format that is easy to understand and edit.

The basic structure of a workflow is as follows:

name: Workflow Name
on: [event]
jobs:
  job-name:
    runs-on: [platform]
    steps:
      - name: Step Name
        uses: action-name@version
        with:
          parameter-name: parameter-value

Let’s break this down:

  • The name field is used to give the workflow a name.
  • The on field specifies the event that will trigger the workflow. This can be a push to a branch, a pull request, a scheduled event, or a custom event.
  • The jobs field contains one or more jobs that will be run as part of the workflow.
  • Each job has a name field, which is used to give the job a name.
  • The runs-on field specifies the platform that the job will run on. This can be a specific operating system or a virtual environment.
  • The steps field contains one or more steps that will be run as part of the job.
  • Each step has a name field, which is used to give the step a name.
  • The uses field specifies the action that will be run as part of the step. An action is a reusable unit of code that performs a specific task, such as running tests or deploying code.
  • The with field specifies any parameters that need to be passed to the action.

GitHub Actions comes with a wide variety of pre-built actions that can be used to perform common tasks, such as running tests, deploying code, and sending notifications. These actions can be found in the GitHub Marketplace, which is a library of reusable workflows and actions that can be used to streamline development workflows.

Using GitHub Actions, you can easily create a workflow that tests your code every time it is pushed to a repository. Here’s an example workflow that does just that:

name: Test
on: [push]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Run Tests
      run: |
        npm install
        npm test

This workflow has a single job called build that runs on the latest version of Ubuntu. The steps field contains two steps: the first step checks out the repository, and the second step installs the necessary dependencies and runs the tests.

GitHub Actions can also be used to deploy code to a production server. Here’s an example workflow that deploys a Node.js application to a Heroku server:

name: Deploy
on:
  release:
    types: [created]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
        with:
          node-version: '14.x'
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm install
      - name: Deploy to Heroku