General

Ensuring Accurate Workflow Status in GitHub for Enhanced Visibility

Mar 22, 2024

3 min read

Introduction

In the world of software development, GitHub workflows are crucial for automating CI/CD processes. However, a key challenge emerges when these workflows report a 'success' despite underlying issues, like failed tests. This is especially common in scenarios involving tests (e.g., Cypress) and notifications (e.g., Slack) within the same workflow. This blog post aims to highlight the importance of accurate GitHub workflow statuses for better visibility and team response, and how to ensure your workflows reflect the true outcome of their runs.

The Problem with Misleading Workflow Statuses

Consider a scenario in a GitHub workflow where end-to-end tests are run using Cypress.

jobs:
  cypress_test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Use Node.js version from .nvmrc
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version-file: ".nvmrc"

      - name: Clean install
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run Cypress tests
        id: cypress_run
        run: npm run cy:run
        continue-on-error: true

      - name: Send Slack message on fail
        if: steps.cypress_run.outcome == 'failure'
        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v1.24.0
        ... # Slack action configuration

If these tests fail, but the workflow proceeds to a subsequent step, like sending a notification via Slack, which completes successfully, the entire workflow might still show a green checkmark. This misleading success status suggests everything is functioning as intended, when in fact, there could be significant underlying issues.

The core issue is the determination of workflow success. Even if critical steps like testing fail, later steps without errors can override this, resulting in a false sense of security. This not only delays bug detection but can also lead to faulty code advancing in the CI/CD pipeline. It's crucial for the overall workflow status to accurately reflect failures in critical steps to ensure prompt and appropriate responses to issues.

Crafting a Solution and Best Practices

Ensuring Accurate Status Reporting

To address the issue of misleading workflow statuses, it’s essential to configure your GitHub Actions properly. The goal is to ensure that the workflow accurately reflects the success or failure of critical tasks, such as running tests, regardless of the success of subsequent steps.

Adjusting the Workflow

Conditional Notifications: First, set up notifications to execute conditionally based on the outcome of critical steps. This ensures you're alerted of the workflow status without altering the overall result. For example, sending a Slack message if a Cypress test fails:

- name: Send Slack message on fail
  if: steps.cypress_run.outcome == 'failure' # conditional test from cypress execution
  uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v1.24.0
  ... # Slack action configuration

Explicit Failure Handling: After configuring conditional notifications, explicitly handle failure scenarios. If a critical step like a Cypress test fails, force the workflow to exit with a failure status. This step is crucial to ensure that the overall workflow reflects the true status:

- name: Force failed job if Cypress failed
  if: steps.cypress_run.outcome == 'failure'
  run: exit 1

Best Practices:

Clear Step Separation: Clearly separate and label each step in your workflow for easier readability and troubleshooting. Regular Reviews: Periodically review your workflows to ensure they are aligned with the latest project requirements and best practices. Document Workflow Logic: Maintain documentation for your workflows, especially for complex ones, to aid in understanding and future modifications.

By first setting up conditional notifications and then enforcing explicit failure handling, you maintain both alertness to issues and accuracy in workflow status. This approach ensures that failures in critical steps like tests are not overshadowed by subsequent successful steps, keeping the reported status of your workflow true to its actual state.

Conclusion

Accurate GitHub workflow statuses are vital for a transparent and efficient CI/CD process. By implementing conditional notifications and explicit failure handling, we ensure that our workflows truthfully represent the success or failure of critical tasks. This not only fosters better issue awareness and response but also upholds the integrity of our development practices. Embrace these steps as part of your commitment to maintaining clear and reliable automation processes in your projects. Happy coding!

This Dot is a consultancy dedicated to guiding companies through their modernization and digital transformation journeys. Specializing in replatforming, modernizing, and launching new initiatives, we stand out by taking true ownership of your engineering projects.

We love helping teams with projects that have missed their deadlines or helping keep your strategic digital initiatives on course. Check out our case studies and our clients that trust us with their engineering.

William Mimura

@mimurawil

Deploying Multiple Apps From a Monorepo to GitHub Pages

Deploying Multiple Apps from a Monorepo to GitHub Pages When it comes to deploying static sites, GitHub Pages is a popular solution thanks to being free and easy to set up in CI. The thing is, however, while it's perfectly suited for hosting a single application, such as a demo of your library, it does not support hosting multiple applications out of the box. It kind of just expects you to have a single app in your repository. It just so happened I ended up with a project that originally had a single app deployed to GitHub Pages via a GitHub Actions workflow, and I had to extend it to be a monorepo with multiple apps. Once a second app was deploy-worthy, I had to figure out how to deploy it to GitHub Pages as well. As I found myself struggling a little bit while figuring out the best way to do it, I decided to write this post to share my experience and hopefully help someone else with a similar problem. The Initial Setup Initially, the project had a GitHub Actions workflow to test, build, and deploy the single app to GitHub Pages. The configuration looked something like this: ` The URL structure for GitHub Pages is [your-organization-name].github.io/[your-repo-name], which means on a merge to the main branch, this action deployed my app to thisdot.github.io/my-repo. Accommodating Multiple Apps As I converted the repository to an Nx monorepo and eventually developed the second application, I needed to deploy it to GitHub Pages too. I researched some options and found a solution to deploy the apps as subdirectories. In the end, the changes to the workflow were not very drastic. As Nx was now building my apps into the dist/apps folder alongside each other, I just had to update the build step to build both apps and the upload step to upload the dist/apps directory instead of the dist/my-app directory. The final workflow at this point looked like this: ` And that seemed to work fine. The apps were deployed to thisdot.github.io/my-repo/app1 and thisdot.github.io/my-repo/app2 respectively. But, then I noticed something was off... Addressing Client-Side Routing My apps were both written with React and used react-router-dom. And as GitHub Pages doesn't support client-side routing out of the box, the routing wasn't working properly and I've been getting 404 errors. One of the apps had a workaround using a custom 404.html from spa-github-pages. The script in that file redirects all 404s to the index.html, preserving the path and query string. But that workaround wasn't working anymore at this point, and adding it to the second app didn't work either. The reason why it wasn't working was that the 404.html wasn't in the root directory of the GitHub pages for that repository, as the apps were now deployed to subdirectories. So, the 404.html was not being picked up by the server. I needed to move the 404.html to the root directory of the apps. I moved the 404.html to a shared folder next to the apps and updated the build script to copy it to the dist/apps directory alongside the two app subdirectories: ` So the whole workflow definition now looked like this: ` Another thing to do was to increase the segmentsToKeep variable in the 404.html script to accommodate the app subdirectories: ` Handling Truly Missing URLs At this point, the routing was working fine for the apps and I thought I was done with this ordeal. But then someone mistyped the URL and the page just kept redirecting to itself and I was getting an infinite loop of redirects. It just kept adding ?/&/and/and/and/and/and/and over and over again to the URL. I had to fix this. So I dug into the 404.html page and figured out, that I'll just check the path segment corresponding to the app name and only execute the redirect logic for known app subdirectories. So I added a allowedPathSegments array and check if the path segment matches one of the allowed ones: ` At that point, the infinite redirect loop was gone. But the 404 page was still not very helpful. It was just blank. So I also took this opportunity to enhance the 404.html to list the available apps and provide some helpful information to the user in case of a truly missing page. I just had to add a bit of HTML code into the body: ` And a bit of javascript to populate the list of apps and show the content: ` Now, when a user mistypes the URL, they get a helpful message and a list of available apps to choose from. If they use one of the available apps, the routing works as expected. This is the final version of the 404.html page: ` Conclusion Deploying multiple apps from an Nx monorepo to GitHub Pages required some adjustments, both in the GitHub Actions workflow and in handling client-side routing. With these changes, I was able to deploy and manage two apps effectively and I should be able to deploy even more apps in the future if they get added to the monorepo. And, while the changes were not very drastic, it wasn't easy to find information on the topic and figure out what to do. That's why I decided to write this post. and I hope it will help someone else with a similar problem....

Jan 24, 2024

4 mins

GitHubGitHub ActionsNxReact

A Deep Dive into SvelteKit Routing with Our Starter.dev GitHub Showcase Example

Introduction SvelteKit is an excellent framework for building web applications of all sizes, with a beautiful development experience and flexible filesystem-based routing. At the heart of SvelteKit is a filesystem-based router. The routes of your app — i.e. the URL paths that users can access — are defined by the directories in your codebase. In this tutorial, we are going to discuss SvelteKit routing with an awesome SvelteKit GitHub showcase built by This Dot Labs. The showcase is built with the SvelteKit starter kit on starter.dev. We are going to tackle: - Filesystem-based router - +page.svelte - +page.server - +layout.svelte - +layout.server - +error.svelte - Advanced Routing - Rest Parameters - (group) layouts - Matching Below is the current routes folder. Prerequisites You will need a development environment running Node.js; this tutorial was tested on Node.js version 16.18.0, and npm version 8.19.2. Filesystem-based router The src/routes is the root route. You can change src/routes to a different directory by editing the project config. ` Each route directory contains one or more route files, which can be identified by their + prefix. +page.svelte A +page.svelte component defines a page of your app. By default, pages are rendered both on the server (SSR) for the initial request, and in the browser (CSR) for subsequent navigation. In the below example, we see how to render a simple login page component: ` +page.ts Often, a page will need to load some data before it can be rendered. For this, we add a +page.js (or +page.ts, if you're TypeScript-inclined) module that exports a load function. +page.server.ts If your load function can only run on the server— ie, if it needs to fetch data from a database or you need to access private environment variables like API key— then you can rename +page.js to +page.server.js, and change the PageLoad type to PageServerLoad. To pass top user repository data, and user’s gists to the client-rendered page, we do the following: ` The page.svelte gets access to the data by using the data variable which is of type PageServerData. ` +layout.svelte As there are elements that should be visible on every page, such as top-level navigation or a footer. Instead of repeating them in every +page.svelte, we can put them in layouts. The only requirement is that the component includes a for the page content. For example, let's add a nav bar: ` +layout.server.ts Just like +page.server.ts, your +layout.svelte component can get data from a load function in +layout.server.js, and change the type from PageServerLoad type to LayoutServerLoad. ` +error.svelte If an error occurs during load, SvelteKit will render a default error page. You can customize this error page on a per-route basis by adding an +error.svelte file. In the showcase, an error.svelte page has been added for authenticated view in case of an error. ` Advanced Routing Rest Parameters If the number of route segments is unknown, you can use spread operator syntax. This is done to implement Github’s file viewer. ` svelte-kit-scss.starter.dev/thisdot/starter.dev/blob/main/starters/svelte-kit-scss/README.md would result in the following parameters being available to the page: ` (group) layouts By default, the layout hierarchy mirrors the route hierarchy. In some cases, that might not be what you want. In the GitHub showcase, we would like an authenticated user to be able to have access to the navigation bar, error page, and user information. This is done by grouping all the relevant pages which an authenticated user can access. Grouping can also be used to tidy your file tree and ‘group’ similar pages together for easy navigation, and understanding of the project. Matching In the Github showcase, we needed to have a page to show issues and pull requests for a single repo. The route src/routes/(authenticated)/[username]/[repo]/[issues] would match /thisdot/starter.dev-github-showcases/issues or /thisdot/starter.dev-github-showcases/pull-requests but also /thisdot/starter.dev-github-showcases/anything and we don't want that. You can ensure that route parameters are well-formed by adding a matcher— which takes only issues or pull-requests, and returns true if it is valid– to your params directory. ` ` ...and augmenting your routes: ` If the pathname doesn't match, SvelteKit will try to match other routes (using the sort order specified below), before eventually returning a 404. Note: Matchers run both on the server and in the browser. Conclusion In this article, we learned about basic and advanced routing in SvelteKit by using the SvelteKit showcase example. We looked at how to work with SvelteKit's Filesystem-based router, rest parameters, and (group) layouts. If you want to learn more about SvelteKit, please check out the SvelteKit and SCSS starter kit and the SvelteKit and SCSS GitHub showcase. All the code for our showcase project is open source. If you want to collaborate with us or have suggestions, we're always welcome to new contributions. Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, or run into any trouble, feel free to reach out on Twitter....

Mar 22, 2023

5 mins

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TypeScript Integration with .env Variables

Introduction In TypeScript projects, effectively managing environment variables can significantly enhance the development experience. However, a common hurdle is that TypeScript, by default, doesn't recognize variables defined in .env files. This oversight can lead to type safety issues and, potentially, hard-to-trace bugs. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the process of setting up an environment.d.ts file. This simple yet powerful addition enables TypeScript to seamlessly integrate with and accurately interpret your environment variables. Let's dive into the details! Creating and Configuring environment.d.ts Install @types/node Before creating your environment.d.ts file, make sure you have the @types/node package installed as it provides TypeScript definitions for Node.js, including the process.env object. Install it as a development dependency: ` Setting Up environment.d.ts To ensure TypeScript correctly recognizes and types your .env variables, start by setting up an environment.d.ts file in your project. This TypeScript declaration file will explicitly define the types of your environment variables. 1. Create the File: In the root of your TypeScript project, create a file named environment.d.ts 2. Declare Environment Variables: In environment.d.ts, declare your environment variables as part of the NodeJS.ProcessEnv interface. For example, for API_KEY and DATABASE_URL, the file would look like this: ` 3. Typescript config: In you tsconfig.json file, ensure that Typescript will recognize our the new file: ` 4. Usage in Your Project: With these declarations, TypeScript will provide type-checking and intellisense for process.env.API_KEY and process.env.DATABASE_URL, enhancing the development experience and code safety. Checking on Your IDE By following the steps above, you can now verify on your IDE how your environment variables recognizes and auto completes the variables added: Conclusion Integrating .env environment variables into TypeScript projects enhances not only the security and flexibility of your application but also the overall developer experience. By setting up an environment.d.ts file and ensuring the presence of @types/node, you bridge the gap between TypeScript’s static type system and the dynamic nature of environment variables. This approach leads to clearer, more maintainable code, where the risks of runtime errors are significantly reduced. It's a testament to TypeScript's versatility and its capability to adapt to various development needs. As you continue to build and scale your TypeScript applications, remember that small enhancements like these can have a profound impact on your project's robustness and the efficiency of your development processes. Embrace these nuanced techniques, and watch as they bring a new level of precision and reliability to your TypeScript projects....

Mar 13, 2024

2 mins

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How to Make Coding Both Your Hobby and Profession with Jason Lengsdorf @ CityJS Conf 2024

Join us backstage at CityJS Conf for this conversation with Jason Lengsdorf. In this discussion, we explore strategies for reducing stress and anxiety among engineers, ensuring they maintain relevance in the dynamic world of coding. Jason emphasizes the importance of self-assurance and the role of play in fostering continual engagement with evolving technologies. Moreover, we get a sneak peek into Jason's latest venture, "Web Lunch," a platform where he converses with developers who have found harmony between their careers and personal satisfaction. Coding isn't just a job; it's a passion and a lifestyle. Jason highlights the significance of pursuing work that excites and challenges us, echoing the sentiment that coding can be both a career and a hobby. By infusing enjoyment and creativity into our coding endeavors, we can shape our professional trajectories in alignment with our values and interests. This approach not only minimizes regret but also maximizes happiness and fulfillment in our careers. Central to our discussion is the pivotal role of effective leadership in creating a supportive and encouraging work environment. Leaders who prioritize the well-being and happiness of their team members foster a culture of collaboration and empowerment. Through mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for growth, these leaders enable developers to align their personal goals with organizational objectives, leading to increased job satisfaction and professional fulfillment. Adaptability is key to sustained success in software engineering. Jason emphasizes the value of remaining open-minded and continuously learning, even when it means stepping out of our comfort zones. Embracing discomfort is an integral part of personal growth, allowing us to overcome obstacles and unlock our full potential. By nurturing a spirit of curiosity and adaptability, developers can navigate the complexities of their careers with resilience and enthusiasm....

Apr 25, 2024

2 mins

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Ensuring Accurate Workflow Status in GitHub for Enhanced Visibility

Introduction

The Problem with Misleading Workflow Statuses

Crafting a Solution and Best Practices

Ensuring Accurate Status Reporting

Adjusting the Workflow

Best Practices:

Conclusion

William Mimura

You might also like

Deploying Multiple Apps From a Monorepo to GitHub Pages

A Deep Dive into SvelteKit Routing with Our Starter.dev GitHub Showcase Example

TypeScript Integration with .env Variables

How to Make Coding Both Your Hobby and Profession with Jason Lengsdorf @ CityJS Conf 2024

You might also like

Deploying Multiple Apps From a Monorepo to GitHub Pages

A Deep Dive into SvelteKit Routing with Our Starter.dev GitHub Showcase Example

TypeScript Integration with .env Variables

How to Make Coding Both Your Hobby and Profession with Jason Lengsdorf @ CityJS Conf 2024