lfarci / github-actions

Preparation resources for the GitHub Actions certification
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Define an approach for managing and leveraging reusable components (i.e. repos for storage, naming conventions for files/folders, and plans for ongoing maintenance) #59

Closed lfarci closed 3 months ago

lfarci commented 3 months ago

Managing and leveraging reusable components effectively requires a well-structured approach. Here's a suggested strategy:

  1. Repositories for Storage: Create dedicated repositories for different types of components. For example, have separate repositories for reusable workflows, actions, and scripts. This makes it easier to find and manage related components.

  2. Naming Conventions: Establish clear and consistent naming conventions for files and folders. This could be based on the component's function, the project it's related to, or the team that maintains it. For example, a reusable workflow for deploying to a staging environment might be named deploy-to-staging.yml.

  3. Directory Structure: Maintain a logical and consistent directory structure. For example, all reusable workflows could be stored in a .github/workflows directory, while custom actions could be stored in a actions directory.

  4. Versioning: Use versioning for your components. This allows users to choose a specific version of a component to use and helps prevent breaking changes from affecting dependent workflows. You can use git tags to mark different versions of your components.

  5. Documentation: Document each component thoroughly. This should include what the component does, how to use it, any inputs or outputs, and any dependencies it has. This documentation should be included in the component's repository, ideally in a README file.

  6. Maintenance Plan: Establish a plan for maintaining your components. This should include who is responsible for maintaining the component, how often it's reviewed for updates or improvements, and how issues or requests for changes are handled. Consider using GitHub's built-in features like issues and pull requests to track and manage these tasks.

  7. Testing: Implement testing for your components to ensure they work as expected. This could include unit tests, integration tests, and/or workflow tests. GitHub Actions can be used to automate these tests.

  8. Communication: Make sure to communicate any updates or changes to your components to the teams that use them. This could be done through email, a team chat application, or through GitHub's notification features.