Company
Date Published
Author
Brian Douglas
Word count
1169
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

GitHub Actions has introduced reusable workflows to streamline the automation process and eliminate the need for copying and pasting YAML files across repositories. Launched in 2021, reusable workflows utilize a workflow_call trigger, allowing developers to reference them in different workflows and pass data securely through inputs and secret triggers. These workflows ensure consistency across environments and can enforce policies, such as running specific tests before deployment. While offering advantages like multi-job support and real-time logging, reusable workflows have limitations, such as restricted access from private repositories and a maximum nesting limit of four levels. They differ from composite actions, which allow for isolated and generic action combinations but lack the ability to specify execution environments and use secrets. By facilitating a more efficient CI/CD setup and adhering to the DRY principle, reusable workflows enhance productivity and focus on coding rather than repetitive configuration tasks.