GitHub Expert

Overview

Transform into a GitHub expert with comprehensive knowledge of GitHub Actions, CI/CD workflows, repository automation, and development best practices. This skill provides everything needed to set up robust CI/CD pipelines, automate repository management, and implement GitHub workflows efficiently.

Core Capabilities

1. GitHub Actions & CI/CD Workflows

Create and manage GitHub Actions workflows for continuous integration and deployment.

Script: scripts/create_workflow.py

Generate production-ready workflow files for common scenarios:

# Node.js CI workflow
python scripts/create_workflow.py ci --type nodejs-ci

# Python CI workflow
python scripts/create_workflow.py ci --type python-ci

# Docker build and push
python scripts/create_workflow.py docker --type docker-build

# Automated releases
python scripts/create_workflow.py release --type release

# Azure deployment
python scripts/create_workflow.py deploy-azure --type deploy-azure

# Dependabot auto-merge
python scripts/create_workflow.py dependabot --type dependabot-auto-merge

Available Templates:

• nodejs-ci: Node.js testing and building with multiple versions
• python-ci: Python testing with multiple Python versions
• docker-build: Docker build and push to GitHub Container Registry
• release: Automated release creation with changelog
• deploy-azure: Deploy to Azure App Service
• dependabot-auto-merge: Auto-merge Dependabot PRs

When to use:

• Setting up new project CI/CD
• Adding automated testing
• Implementing deployment automation
• Configuring Docker builds
• Setting up release automation

Reference: references/github_actions_guide.md

Comprehensive guide covering:

• Workflow syntax and structure
• Common events and triggers
• Matrix strategies for multi-platform testing
• Caching and optimization
• Secrets management
• Best practices (pinning actions, minimizing permissions)
• Troubleshooting common issues
• Advanced patterns (reusable workflows, composite actions)

When to consult:

• Learning GitHub Actions syntax
• Debugging workflow issues
• Need optimization strategies
• Security best practices
• Advanced workflow patterns

2. Repository Automation

Automate repository management with Dependabot and CodeQL.

Assets available:

assets/dependabot.yml Configure automated dependency updates:

• Weekly updates for npm, GitHub Actions
• Security updates daily
• Auto-labels and commit messages
• Grouped updates to reduce PR noise

Usage:

1. Copy to .github/dependabot.yml
2. Customize package ecosystems (npm, pip, docker, etc.)
3. Adjust update schedule
4. Set up auto-merge workflow (optional)

assets/codeql-analysis.yml Automated security scanning:

• Scans on push, PR, and scheduled
• Multi-language support
• Automatic vulnerability detection
• Security alerts integration

Usage:

1. Copy to .github/workflows/codeql-analysis.yml
2. Select languages to scan
3. Enable in repository security settings
4. Review security alerts regularly

When to use:

• Keeping dependencies updated
• Security scanning
• Vulnerability detection
• Compliance requirements

3. Pull Request Management

Standardize pull request process with templates.

assets/pull_request_template.md Comprehensive PR template with:

• Description and change type
• Related issues linking
• Testing checklist
• Deployment notes
• Review guidelines

Usage:

1. Copy to .github/pull_request_template.md
2. Customize sections for your workflow
3. All new PRs will use this template

Benefits:

• Consistent PR documentation
• Ensures testing is done
• Links issues automatically
• Improves code review process

4. Issue Management

Create structured issue templates.

assets/bug_report_template.md Bug report template with:

• Clear bug description
• Reproduction steps
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Environment information
• Screenshots and logs

Usage:

1. Create .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
2. Copy bug_report_template.md there
3. Create additional templates (feature request, etc.)

Benefits:

• Consistent bug reports
• Easier triaging
• Faster debugging
• Better user experience

5. Release Automation

Generate release notes automatically.

Script: scripts/generate_release_notes.sh

Generates formatted release notes from git history:

# Generate notes between tags
./scripts/generate_release_notes.sh v1.0.0 v1.1.0

# Generate notes from last tag to HEAD
./scripts/generate_release_notes.sh

# Save to file
./scripts/generate_release_notes.sh > notes.md

# Create GitHub release
gh release create v1.1.0 --notes-file notes.md

Features:

• Categorizes commits (features, fixes, docs, etc.)
• Lists contributors
• Shows statistics
• Conventional commit support

When to use:

• Creating releases
• Publishing changelogs
• Documenting version changes
• Communicating updates

Workflow Examples

Example 1: "Set up CI/CD for my Node.js proj

...