GitHub Actions 101

A comprehensive series on GitHub Actions based on real-world experience building CI/CD pipelines for TypeScript microservices in production.

Series Overview

This series covers everything you need to know about GitHub Actions, from basic workflows to advanced deployment strategies, all demonstrated with TypeScript microservice examples.

What You'll Learn

• GitHub Actions Fundamentals: Core concepts, workflows, and YAML syntax

• CI/CD Pipelines: Automated testing, building, and deployment

• YAML Mastery: Writing effective workflow configurations

• Real-World Patterns: Production-tested workflows for TypeScript projects

• Advanced Techniques: Optimization, security, and troubleshooting

Series Parts

1. Part 1: Introduction to GitHub Actions and First Workflow

   • Understanding GitHub Actions and CI/CD

   • Core concepts: workflows, jobs, steps, runners

   • Creating your first workflow

   • Running automated tests on every push

2. Part 2: YAML Syntax and Workflow Fundamentals

   • Complete YAML syntax guide for GitHub Actions

   • Workflow triggers and events

   • Jobs, steps, and actions

   • Environment variables and secrets

   • Workflow expressions and contexts

3. Part 3: Building CI/CD Pipelines for TypeScript Microservices

   • Complete CI pipeline: lint, test, build

   • Working with PostgreSQL and Redis in workflows

   • Caching dependencies for faster builds

   • Matrix strategies for multi-version testing

   • Building and pushing Docker images

4. Part 4: Advanced Workflows and Optimization

   • Reusable workflows and composite actions

   • Workflow concurrency and job dependencies

   • Artifacts and outputs

   • Self-hosted runners

   • Optimizing workflow performance

5. Part 5: Production Deployment and Best Practices

   • Deploying to AWS, Azure, and other platforms

   • Environment-based deployments (staging, production)

   • Rollback strategies

   • Security best practices

   • Monitoring and troubleshooting workflows

Prerequisites

• Basic Git and GitHub knowledge (see Version Control 101)

• Understanding of TypeScript and Node.js

• Familiarity with CI/CD concepts

• A GitHub account (free tier is sufficient)

Who This Series Is For

• Backend developers building TypeScript microservices

• Teams implementing CI/CD pipelines

• Developers migrating from other CI/CD platforms

• Anyone wanting to automate their development workflow

Real-World Context

Throughout this series, I'll share experiences from building and maintaining GitHub Actions workflows for:

• TypeScript microservices with Express.js

• PostgreSQL database migrations

• Docker containerization and deployment

• Multi-environment deployments (dev, staging, production)

• Monorepo and polyrepo projects

All examples are based on actual production workflows I've built and refined over time, not theoretical scenarios.

Let's automate everything! 🚀