richardloof / writing-javascript-actions Goto Github PK

On to your development environment

@richardloof our JavaScript actions are going to leverage the GitHub ToolKit for developing GitHub Actions.

This is an external library that we will install using npm which means that you will need Node.js installed.

I find writing actions to be easier from a local environment vs trying to do everything right here in the repository. Doing these steps locally allows you to use the editor of your choice so that you have all the extensions and snippets you are used to when writing code.

If you do not have a preferred environment then I suggest following along with me exactly as you see on the screen, which means you'll need to install Visual Studio Code.

Don't forget to set up your workstation 😉

Most of your work going forward will take place away from your Learning Lab repository, so before continuing with the course ensure you have the following installed on your local machine.

1. Node.js
2. Visual Studio Code or your editor of choice
3. Git

⌨️ Activity: Initialize a new JavaScript project

Once you have the necessary tools installed locally, follow these steps to begin creating your first action.

1. Open the Terminal (Mac and Linux) or Command Prompt (Windows) on your local machine

2. Clone your Learning Lab repo to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/richardloof/writing-javascript-actions.git

3. Navigate to the folder you just cloned:

   cd writing-javascript-actions

4. Create a new branch named hello-world. This is the branch we will use to write our first action. Please do not capitalize letters unless I do, I run case-sensitive checks to make sure I can help you along the way!

   git checkout -b hello-world

5. Create a new folder for our actions files:

   mkdir -p .github/actions/hello-world

6. Navigate to the hello-world folder you just created:

   cd .github/actions/hello-world

7. Initialize a new project:

   npm init -y

8. Install the core dependency from the GitHub ToolKit:

   npm install --save @actions/core

9. Commit those newly added files,we will remove the need to upload node_modules in a later step:

   git add .
   git commit -m 'add project dependencies'

10. Push your changes to your repository:

    git push -u origin hello-world

---

I will respond once you have finished.

Configuring a workflow

Actions are enabled on your repository by default, but we still have to tell our repository to use them. We do this by creating a workflow file in our repository.

A workflow file can be thought of as the recipe for automating a task. They house the start to finish instructions, in the form of jobs and steps, for what should happen based on specific triggers.

Your repository can contain multiple workflow files that carry out a wide variety of tasks. It is important to consider this when deciding on a name for your workflow. The name you choose should reflect the tasks being performed.

In our case, we will use this one workflow file for many things, which leads us to break this convention for teaching purposes.

📖Read more about workflows

⌨️ Activity: Create a pull request to prepare the repository for actions

1. Create a new workflow file titled my-workflow.yml inside of the folders .github/workflows/ by using the instructions below, or this quicklink.
   • Go to the Actions tab.
   • Choose the Set up a workflow yourself option, located on the top right hand corner of the screen.
   • Change the name of the file to .github/workflows/my-workflow.yml.
2. Commit the workflow to a new branch, you can name it add-initial-workflow.
3. Create a pull request titled Create a workflow.
4. Supply the pull request body content and click Create pull request.

It is important to place meaningful content into the body of the pull requests you create throughout this course. This repository will stay with you long after you complete the course. It is advisable that you use the body of the pull requests you create as a way to take long lived notes about thing you want to remember.

Suggested body content

Workflow files are the recipe for task automation. This is where actions are placed if I want to use them for a task.

I'll respond in the new pull request when I detect it has been created.

---

If at any point you're expecting a response and don't see one, refresh the page.