GitHub Actions Workflow Syntax: on: release with Examples

Introduction

GitHub Actions is a powerful CI/CD tool that allows developers to automate tasks within their software development lifecycle directly from their GitHub repositories. The core of this automation lies in the workflow files, which are defined using a specific syntax. In this blog post, we will explore the on: release event in the GitHub Actions Workflow Syntax, its usage, and provide examples.

Understanding the `on: release` Event

In GitHub Actions, workflows are triggered by specific events. The on: release event is triggered whenever a release is created in the repository. This event can be particularly useful when you want to automate tasks whenever a release is made, such as building and publishing artifacts, or deploying your application to a production environment.

Usage of the `on: release` Event

The on: release event is defined in the workflow file right after the on keyword. Here’s a basic example of how to use the on: release event:

name: Release Workflow
on: release

jobs:
  build-and-publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Build and publish
        run: echo Building and publishing artifacts for the release!

name: Release Workflow

on: release

jobs:

build-and-publish:

runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:

- name: Checkout code

uses: actions/checkout@v2

- name: Build and publish

run: echo Building and publishing artifacts for the release!

In this example, the workflow is named “Release Workflow”. This workflow is triggered whenever a release is created in the repository. The workflow has one job named build-and-publish that runs on the latest version of Ubuntu. This job has two steps:

Checkout code: This step uses the actions/checkout@v2 action to checkout the repository’s code onto the runner.
Build and publish: This step runs a script that simply echoes a message indicating that artifacts are being built and published for the release.

`on: release` Types

The on: release event can be further customized by specifying the types of release activities that trigger the workflow. Here’s an example:

name: Release Workflow
on: 
  release:
    types: [published, created, edited]

jobs:
  build-and-publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Build and publish
        run: echo Building and publishing artifacts for the release!

name: Release Workflow

on:

release:

types: [published, created, edited]

jobs:

build-and-publish:

runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:

- name: Checkout code

uses: actions/checkout@v2

- name: Build and publish

run: echo Building and publishing artifacts for the release!

In this example, the workflow is triggered whenever a release is published, created, or edited. Other types include prereleased, released, unpublished, deleted, and draft.

Common Questions and Answers

Q: Can I use the on: release event to trigger workflows only for specific types of releases?

A: Yes, you can specify which types of release activities the on: release event applies to using the types keyword. For example, you could specify on: release: types: [published] to only run the workflow when a release is published.

Q: Can I use the on: release event in conjunction with other events?

A: Yes, you can specify multiple events to trigger the workflow. For example, you could have a workflow that runs on both push and release events.

Conclusion

The on: release event in GitHub Actions Workflow Syntax is a powerful tool that allows you to automate tasks whenever a release is created in your repository. By understanding and effectively using this event, you can greatly enhance your automation capabilities.