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GitHub Actions: Introduction & Getting Started

GitHub Actions is a CI/CD and automation platform built into GitHub, allowing you to automate workflows for building, testing, and deploying code.

Why Use GitHub Actions?

  • Automate builds, tests, and deployments on GitHub
  • Define workflows as code in .github/workflows/*.yml
  • Integrate with marketplace actions and third-party services

How GitHub Actions Works

  • Workflows are triggered by events (push, PR, schedule, etc.)
  • Jobs run in containers or VMs
  • Steps use built-in or marketplace actions

Quick Start Example

  1. Create a workflow file (.github/workflows/ci.yml): 
    name: CI
on: [push]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Run a one-line script
        run: echo "Hello, GitHub Actions!"
  2. Push to GitHub:
  3. The workflow runs automatically on push
  4. View workflow status:
  5. Go to your repo’s Actions tab

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