github-workflow-dispatch-test

Trigger a workflow from another workflow

Why this repo ?

• This was created in order to test differnt methos to trigger a workflow other than push event, or schedule etc.

• This repo contains 2 different methods we can trigger a workflow from another workflow

Details

workflow_dispatch method

• We will utilize GitHub REST API end point for triggering a workflow by providing necessary credential.

create-a-workflow-dispatch-event

i am passing GitHub app installation access token to trigger the workflow. Similarly we can pass either Github app user access token or fine grained personal access tokens

- name: Token generator
  uses: githubofkrishnadhas/github-access-using-githubapp@v1
  with:
    github_app_id: ${{ secrets.WDC_APP_ID }}
    github_app_private_key : ${{ secrets.WDC_PVT_KEY }}
    github_account_type : organization

• use the above action to generate a GitHub app Installation token and later pass it to the GItHub rest API call to do the authentication. The token will be available as GH_APP_TOKEN env variable in workflow.

• WDC_APP_ID , WDC_PVT_KEY are respectively the app id and private key of github app which is stored as secrets in github .

    - name: Trigger another workflow via API
      env:
        OWNER_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
        WORKFLOW_ID: workflow_dispatch_child.yaml  # or the workflow ID if you prefer
        REF: main  # or the branch you want to use
      run: |
        curl -L \
          -X POST \
          -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
          -H "Authorization: Bearer $GH_APP_TOKEN" \
          https://api.github.com/repos/${{ env.OWNER_REPO }}/actions/workflows/$WORKFLOW_ID/dispatches \
          -d '{"ref":"main","inputs":{"name":"Kunai the Octocat","home":"Tokiyo, Japan"}}'
        

• OWNER_REPO --> this will be the complete repo name in format of github orgname/repository name

• WORKFLOW_ID --> This can be either the workflow file name or ID of the workflow

• Inside inputs you can pass necessary params to next workflow.

• This will trigger a workflow named workflow_dispatch_child.yaml post completing the API call and pass name and home as inputs for next workflow.

worlfow_run method

• workflow_run method provides more importance to workflow name. here it is Build

name: Build
on:
  workflow_dispatch: # this is optional
  workflow_run:
  # This workflow will only run in main branch when Trigger a workflow using workflow_run is comlpeted
    workflows: ["Trigger a workflow using workflow_run"] 
    types: [completed]
      # branches-ignore:
      #   - "feature/*"
    branches:
      - "main"

• The name inside workflows: ["x"] , this x will be the workflow name and the workflow which will be triggered first then Build.

• types : There are 3 values workflow_run

  • completed
  • in-progress
  • requested

• when using requested, as soon as the parent workflow is triggered child is also. The requested activity type does not occur when a workflow is re-run.

• when using in-progress, as the parent workflow is executing child workflow is triggered

• when using completed, the child workflow will wait till parent is completed.

• branches: this we can provide a list of branch names or with regex [eg: feature/* for all feature branches starting with feature/ in name] to run on these branches

• branches-ignore: This we can also provide a list of names or also with regex . the workflow wont run on branches specifiedd under branches-ignore

• branches and branches-ignore can not be used simultaneously.

just for identification added print statements on child workflow ro specify from which workflo_run, the job is triggered.