In the rapidly evolving field of software development, efficiency and automation are key. GitHub Actions is a tool that provides exactly that. GitHub Actions can be used in continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) to allow you to automate your build, test, and deployment pipelines.

Understanding GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions enables the creation of workflows that perform specific actions based on events occurring in your repository. It goes beyond traditional CI/CD systems, allowing automation for a wide range of tasks, based on a variety of trigger events, from code pushes to new issues creation.
The system is composed of several key components: workflows, events, jobs, steps, and actions:

Workflows: Workflows are configurable automated processes composed of one or more jobs. Defined by a YAML file checked into your repository, they respond to various events such as a pull request being opened or a commit being pushed to the repository. A repository can have multiple workflows, each performing a different set of tasks, offering a high level of flexibility in managing your project's automation needs.

Events: Events are specific activities that trigger a workflow run. These can originate from GitHub, like creating a pull request, opening an issue, or pushing a commit to a repository. Alternatively, workflows can also be triggered manually or on a schedule, offering a wide range of potential automation scenarios.

Jobs: Jobs are sets of steps in a workflow executed on the same runner. Each step is either a shell script that will be executed or an action that will be run. Jobs are executed in order and can share data from one step to another, allowing complex tasks to be broken down into manageable pieces.

Actions: Actions are custom applications for the GitHub Actions platform that perform a complex but frequently repeated task. They help reduce the amount of repetitive code that you write in your workflow files, increasing efficiency and maintainability.

The Importance of Streamlining the Development Process

The process of software development is complex, involving many moving parts. Streamlining this process is crucial for maintaining productivity and ensuring the delivery of quality software. This is where CI/CD comes into play. It's a methodology aimed at introducing automation into the stages of app development, allowing teams to frequently commit changes to their code and deliver apps to customers faster.
GitHub Actions play a crucial role in this process, offering the tools to automate testing, perform code quality checks, and handle deployments.

Setting Up GitHub Actions in Codesphere

Prerequisites

• A Codesphere account with username and password (for accounts set up with Google 0Auth etc. you will first need to set a Codesphere password using the forgot password functionality)
• This Codesphere account is connected with GitHub and access to your repository was granted

Setting up the GitHub Secrets

Following this guide (GitHub Secrets) we need to set up 2 secrets in order to configure our Codesphere Preview Deployment GitHub Action.

1. Navigate to either your repository or the organization, depending on the desired scope
2. Navigate to Settings
3. Navigate to Secrets and Variables
4. Create a secret with your Codesphere username (CODESPHERE_EMAIL)
5. Create a secret with your Codesphere password (CODESPHERE_PASSWORD)

Now you have everything ready to set up your GitHub action that will take care of the deployments automatically. It will also shut off automatically once the pull request gets closed. This way you only get billed for the time you actually used the computing resources.

Video version of this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXPbA5mtv5w&t=2s

Example Use Cases for GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions have a multitude of use cases. Here are a few:

Use Case 1: Automating Code Formatting and Linting

Code formatting and linting are essential for maintaining code quality and consistency. With GitHub Actions, you can automate this process. A workflow can be set up to automatically run a linter whenever code is pushed, and if necessary, reformat the code and push the changes back to the repository.

Use Case 2: Automating Deployment to Staging and Production Environments

GitHub Actions can automate your deployments, reducing the risk of human error and making the process more efficient. You can set up workflows to automatically deploy your application whenever code is merged into the main branch or automatically spin up preview deployments for each opened pull request. These workflows can include steps for building the application, running tests, and deploying the code to the appropriate environment. It integrates with various cloud providers, so you can deploy your application in an environment of your choosing. Codesphere's Github integration is an example of such a use case.

Use Case 3: Scheduled Tasks

GitHub Actions is not only for reacting to events in your repository. You can also schedule workflows to run at specific times. This can be useful for tasks like daily data backups, regular security scans, or anything else that needs to be done on a schedule.

There are a multitude of different workflows for different use cases you can create, depending on your specific project. Even better, you don't have to reinvent the wheel for every project! You can access the GitHub Actions marketplace to get a starting point for your workflow and customize it according to your individual project needs: https://github.com/marketplace?type=actions

Best Practices for Using GitHub Actions

When using GitHub Actions, keep in mind common best practices to ensure efficient and effective operation:

• Keep your workflows simple and focused on a single task.
• Make use of the wealth of pre-built actions available in the GitHub Marketplace.
• Regularly review and update your workflows as your software and its dependencies evolve.
• Secure your secrets. Never hard-code sensitive information like passwords or API keys in your workflow files. Instead, use GitHub's secrets management.
• Understand and manage your usage to avoid hitting GitHub Actions' usage limits.

Limitations and Alternatives to GitHub Actions

While GitHub Actions is a powerful tool, it's not the only CI/CD solution out there. Other popular alternatives include Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI. Each of these has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and circumstances.

Happy coding!