Create and Run Workflow

Automate your CI/CD pipeline by defining workflows that build, test, and deploy your code on every push. In this tutorial, you’ll set up a simple GitHub Actions workflow from scratch using the GitHub.dev editor and VS Code’s Actions extension.

Step 1: Create a New Repository

1. Sign in to GitHub and click New.
2. Name the repository actions-1, set it to Public, and initialize with a README.
3. Click Create repository to finish.

Step 2: Open in Visual Studio Code (GitHub.dev)

In your repo’s URL, replace github.com with github.dev to launch the VS Code–style online editor:

https://github.dev/your-username/actions-1

Step 3: Install the GitHub Actions Extension

1. Open the Extensions pane (⇧⌘X or Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for GitHub Actions and install the official extension.
3. Enjoy syntax validation, autocompletion, and inline error checking for .yml workflows.

Step 4: Create the Workflow File

In the Explorer, add a .github/workflows folder and create firstexample.yml:

Paste the following workflow definition:

name: My First Workflow
on: push

jobs:
  first_job:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Welcome message
        run: echo "My first GitHub Actions Job"
      - name: List files
        run: ls
      - name: Read file
        run: cat README.md

Save the file—VS Code will validate the YAML against the Actions schema.

Step 5: Commit and Push the Workflow

git add .github/workflows/firstexample.yml
git commit -m "Add first workflow"
git push

Because the workflow triggers on push, GitHub will immediately enqueue a run.

Step 6: View the Workflow Run

1. On GitHub, select the Actions tab.
2. Locate My First Workflow in the list.
3. Explore starter workflows for other languages or cloud deployments.

Click your workflow to see its status:

Step 7: Inspect and Debug the Job

Open the job logs to review each step. You’ll see setup messages followed by your custom commands:

Fixing the Checkout Step

To resolve missing files, insert the official checkout action at the top of your steps:

steps:
  - name: Checkout repository
    uses: actions/checkout@v3
  # ...rest of your steps

This ensures your workflow has access to the project files before running commands.

What's Next?

• Explore advanced GitHub Actions triggers.
• Integrate matrix builds, secrets, and environment variables.
• Deploy to cloud services using official actions for AWS, Azure, or GCP.

Links and References

• GitHub Actions Documentation
• actions/checkout@v3
• VS Code Marketplace: GitHub Actions Extension