First time Trying-out GitHub Actions
I’ve got a chance to dive into something quite exciting - GitHub Actions. My first encounter with this new feature was when I was contributing to an open-source project, Despeck.
About Despeck #
Despeck is a Ruby gem designed to remove unwanted stamps or watermarks from scanned images or PDFs, especially before OCR. It utilizes image processing operations powered by libvips via the ruby-vips Ruby bindings. Its features include detecting uniform watermarks from a series of images, outputting a watermark pattern file (image, mask) that describes a watermark pattern, and removing a specified watermark pattern from input images, regardless of the watermark’s location on these images.
My First Dip into GitHub Actions #
before I writing this post, Despeck has been employing traditional CI/CD workflows. These systems were effective but separate from GitHub’s interface. However, with the introduction of Actions by GitHub in August 2019, the scene is changing. The idea of automating software workflows directly within the GitHub interface seemed promising, and I decided to take this opportunity to convert Despeck’s CI/CD process to GitHub Actions. check out my PR here.
Transitioning to GitHub Actions #
The beauty of GitHub Actions lies in its flawless integration with GitHub’s interface. It allows developers to automate workflows directly within their repositories. Actions support workflows in response to various GitHub events such as push and pull requests, providing a powerful and flexible CI/CD solution.
While migrating Despeck to GitHub Actions, I got to experience the potentials of these automations firsthand. Not only did it simplify the CI/CD process, but it also facilitated community involvement. The fact that Actions can be shared, reused, and built upon, promotes an open-source spirit of collaboration among developers.
In essence, GitHub Actions is shaping the future of CI/CD. By providing a flexible, integrated solution that encourages community contribution, Actions is fast becoming the go-to CI/CD tool for developers globally.
Looking Forward #
My exploration with Despeck and GitHub Actions has been a rewarding journey. It gave me a chance to contribute to the open-source world while also understanding and applying a pioneering technology in GitHub Actions. It has reinforced my belief that the future of CI/CD is flexible, integrated, and community-driven.
As GitHub Actions continues to develop, I’m thrilled to see how the developer community will utilize it and how it will transform the CI/CD landscape. Perhaps your next open-source contribution could also be an opportunity to experiment with GitHub Actions!
Feel free to share your experiences or thoughts in the comment section below!