Workflow Configure Unit Testing

In this tutorial, you’ll set up an automated unit testing pipeline for your Node.js Solar System application using GitHub Actions. By the end, every push to main or any feature/* branch will trigger tests, ensuring code quality and reliability.

1. Clone the Repository and Create a Feature Branch

First, clone your GitHub repository and explore the project structure.

Now, create a feature branch for your workflow changes:

git checkout -b feature/exploring-workflows

2. Open in VS Code and Add Your Workflow

Launch the repository in VS Code (e.g., by editing the URL to .dev). Then create a new workflow file at .github/workflows/solar-system.yml:

Paste the following YAML to install Node.js, dependencies, and run tests:

name: Solar System Workflow

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
      - 'feature/*'

jobs:
  unit-testing:
    name: Unit Testing
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: 18

      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Run Unit Tests
        run: npm test

This workflow triggers manually (workflow_dispatch) and on every push to main or any feature/* branch. It uses actions/setup-node@v3, which supports parameters like node-version, check-latest, and node-version-file.

Commit and push your workflow:

git add .github/workflows/solar-system.yml
git commit -m "Add unit testing workflow"
git push --set-upstream origin feature/exploring-workflows

3. Enable the Actions Tab in GitHub

By default, the Actions tab might be hidden. Open the repository page to confirm:

Go to Settings > Actions > General, and under Actions permissions allow all actions and reusable workflows:

After saving, GitHub suggests available workflows:

4. Trigger and Inspect the Workflow

Push an empty commit to trigger the CI pipeline on your feature branch:

git commit --allow-empty -m "Trigger CI"
git push

In the Actions tab, open the Unit Testing run and review the logs:

The failure indicates missing MongoDB credentials.

5. Configure the Application’s Database Connection

Open app.js to see how MongoDB connects:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

mongoose.connect(process.env.MONGO_URI, {
  user: process.env.MONGO_USERNAME,
  pass: process.env.MONGO_PASSWORD,
  useNewUrlParser: true,
  useUnifiedTopology: true
}, err => {
  if (err) {
    console.error("MongoDB connection error:", err);
  }
});

You must supply the MONGO_URI, MONGO_USERNAME, and MONGO_PASSWORD via your workflow.

6. Add Environment Variables and Secrets

Update .github/workflows/solar-system.yml to define global env variables:

env:
  MONGO_URI: 'mongodb+srv://supercluster.d83jj.mongodb.net/superData'
  MONGO_USERNAME: ${{ vars.MONGO_USERNAME }}
  MONGO_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MONGO_PASSWORD }}

The full workflow becomes:

name: Solar System Workflow

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
      - 'feature/*'

env:
  MONGO_URI: 'mongodb+srv://supercluster.d83jj.mongodb.net/superData'
  MONGO_USERNAME: ${{ vars.MONGO_USERNAME }}
  MONGO_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MONGO_PASSWORD }}

jobs:
  unit-testing:
    name: Unit Testing
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: 18

      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm install

      - name: Run Unit Tests
        run: npm test

6.1 Add the MONGO_PASSWORD Secret

In Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions, click New repository secret and add MONGO_PASSWORD:

6.2 Add the MONGO_USERNAME Variable

Under Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions > Variables, create MONGO_USERNAME:

Commit and push your changes:

git add .github/workflows/solar-system.yml
git commit -m "Define env vars for MongoDB in workflow"
git push

7. Verify Workflow Success

After pushing, GitHub Actions will rerun the workflow, connect to MongoDB using your provided credentials, and execute unit tests without errors. All steps—including Node.js setup and npm test—should pass.

Summary of Workflow Steps

References

• GitHub Actions Documentation
• actions/setup-node GitHub Repo
• Mongoose Connection Guide