Automate Testing With GitHub Actions On Main Branch Push

Continuous Integration (CI) is crucial for maintaining code quality and ensuring that new changes don't introduce regressions. In this article, we'll walk through setting up a GitHub Actions workflow to automatically run tests whenever code is pushed to the main branch. This ensures that every commit is validated, providing rapid feedback and preventing broken code from making its way into production.

Understanding GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions allows you to automate tasks within your software development workflow. These tasks, known as actions, can range from simple commands to complex operations. Workflows are defined in YAML files and stored in the .github/workflows/ directory of your repository. They are triggered by events like pushes, pull requests, or scheduled cron jobs.

Benefits of Using GitHub Actions for Testing

• Automation: Automate the testing process to reduce manual effort.
• Early Detection: Identify and fix issues early in the development cycle.
• Code Quality: Maintain high code quality by ensuring all changes pass tests.
• Collaboration: Improve team collaboration by providing clear feedback on code changes.

Setting Up the Workflow

Let's dive into the steps required to create a GitHub Actions workflow for running tests on push to the main branch.

Step 1: Create a New Workflow File

First, create a new file in the .github/workflows/ directory of your repository. Name it something descriptive, like test.yml or ci.yml. This file will define the workflow's behavior.

Step 2: Configure the Workflow

Open the newly created YAML file and add the following content:

name: Run Tests on Push

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: 'lts/*'

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run tests
        run: npm run test

Breakdown of the Workflow

• name: Run Tests on Push: This line defines the name of the workflow, which will be displayed in the GitHub Actions UI.
• on:: This section specifies the event that triggers the workflow. In this case, it's a push event to the main branch.
  • push:: Indicates that the workflow is triggered on push events.
  • branches:: Specifies the branches that trigger the workflow. Here, it's set to main.
• jobs:: This section defines the jobs that will be executed as part of the workflow.
  • test:: Defines a job named test.
    • runs-on: ubuntu-latest: Specifies the type of machine to run the job on. In this case, it's the latest version of Ubuntu.
    • steps:: Defines the sequence of steps to be executed in the job.
      • name: Checkout code: A descriptive name for the step.
      • uses: actions/checkout@v3: Uses the checkout action to check out the code from the repository. This is a standard action provided by GitHub.
      • name: Set up Node.js: Sets up the Node.js environment.
      • uses: actions/setup-node@v3: Uses the setup-node action to set up Node.js.
      • with: node-version: 'lts/*': Specifies the Node.js version to use. lts/* refers to the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version.
      • name: Install dependencies: Installs the project dependencies.
      • run: npm ci: Runs the npm ci command, which installs dependencies based on the package-lock.json file. This ensures consistent dependency versions.
      • name: Run tests: Runs the tests.
      • run: npm run test: Executes the test script defined in the package.json file. This script typically runs your test suite.

Step 3: Commit and Push the Workflow File

Commit the test.yml (or ci.yml) file to the .github/workflows/ directory and push it to the main branch. This will automatically trigger the workflow.

git add .github/workflows/test.yml
git commit -m "Add GitHub Actions workflow for testing"
git push origin main

Step 4: Monitor the Workflow

Navigate to the "Actions" tab in your GitHub repository to monitor the workflow's execution. You can see the status of each step and view any error messages if the tests fail.

Enhancements and Best Practices

To further improve your workflow, consider the following enhancements and best practices:

Caching Dependencies

Caching dependencies can significantly reduce the workflow's execution time. Add the following step to cache the node_modules directory:

- name: Cache dependencies
  uses: actions/cache@v3
  with:
    path: ~/.npm
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
    restore-keys:
      - ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}

This step caches the node_modules directory based on the package-lock.json file. If the package-lock.json file hasn't changed, the cached dependencies will be restored, saving time on subsequent runs.

Using Different Node.js Versions

To test your code against different Node.js versions, you can modify the node-version in the setup-node action. For example, to test against Node.js 14 and 16, you can use a matrix strategy:

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [14.x, 16.x]

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run tests
        run: npm run test

This configuration will run the tests for each Node.js version specified in the matrix.

Handling Test Failures

If any tests fail, the workflow will automatically fail. You can configure the workflow to send notifications or create issues when a failure occurs.

Adding Status Badges

Add a status badge to your repository's README file to display the current status of the workflow. You can find the badge URL in the Actions tab of your repository.

Conclusion

Setting up a GitHub Actions workflow to run tests on push to the main branch is a crucial step in ensuring code quality and preventing regressions. By automating the testing process, you can catch issues early, improve team collaboration, and maintain a healthy codebase. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to create and configure a workflow, along with enhancements and best practices to further optimize your CI pipeline.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your code is always tested and ready for deployment. Embrace the power of automation and make GitHub Actions an integral part of your development workflow.

For more information on GitHub Actions, visit the official GitHub Actions documentation.