tree-sitter-shellspec/.serena/memories/github_workflows_optimization_2025.md

GitHub Workflows Optimization (2025)

Problem Analysis

The project had significant duplication in GitHub Actions workflows, causing unnecessary resource consumption and longer execution times.

Original Issues Identified

1. Critical Duplication - Linting (3x redundancy)

• test.yml: Ran linting in lint job
• pr-lint.yml: Ran identical linting with same action (ivuorinen/actions/pr-lint)
• release.yml: Ran identical linting again in lint job
• Impact: Same linting executed 3 times for every PR + push event

2. High Duplication - Test Suite (2x redundancy)

• test.yml: Full test suite with matrix (Node 22, 24)
• release.yml: Identical test suite with same matrix
• Impact: 4 test jobs (2x2 matrix) running twice on every main branch push

3. Medium Duplication - Environment Setup

• Multiple workflows using ./.github/actions/setup-dev and ./.github/actions/setup-node
• Same Node.js setup repeated across jobs

4. Trigger Overlap

• Both test.yml and pr-lint.yml triggering on push/PR to main
• merge_group trigger in multiple workflows causing additional runs

Optimization Implementation

1. Consolidated Main CI Workflow

File: .github/workflows/test.yml → Renamed to "CI"

• Purpose: Single source of truth for all continuous integration
• Triggers: push, pull_request, merge_group to main/master
• Jobs: test (matrix), lint, coverage
• Result: Eliminated duplicate linting, maintained full functionality

2. Removed Redundant Workflow

Action: Deleted .github/workflows/pr-lint.yml

• Reason: Identical functionality already covered by CI workflow
• Impact: Eliminated 1 runner job per PR/push event

3. Optimized Release Workflow

File: .github/workflows/release.yml Changes:

• Removed: Duplicate test and lint jobs
• Added: check-ci job that verifies CI workflow passed
• Logic: Only proceed with release if CI already passed for the commit
• Dependencies: needs: [validate, check-ci, security] (was [validate, test, lint, security])

Technical Implementation:

check-ci:
  name: ✅ Verify CI Status
  steps:
    - name: 📋 Check CI Workflow Status
      uses: actions/github-script@e1ec48de9e3eaf9b93b1c5f88eaf97ae19d7b7bb
      with:
        script: |
          const { data: workflows } = await github.rest.actions.listWorkflowRuns({
            owner: context.repo.owner,
            repo: context.repo.repo,
            workflow_id: 'test.yml',
            head_sha: context.sha,
            status: 'completed'
          });

          const latestRun = workflows.workflow_runs[0];
          if (!latestRun || latestRun.conclusion !== 'success') {
            core.setFailed('CI workflow has not passed for this commit');
          }

4. Reduced Trigger Scope

Files: codeql.yml, sync-labels.yml Change: Removed merge_group trigger Reason: CI workflow already covers merge group testing Impact: Fewer unnecessary runs on merge queue events

Resource Savings Analysis

Before Optimization

Per PR/Push to main:

• CI Jobs: 4 (test matrix 2x2)
• Linting Jobs: 3 (test.yml + pr-lint.yml + potential release)
• Total Runner Minutes: ~45-60 minutes
• Redundant Executions: High

Per Release:

• Test Jobs: 2 (CI + Release duplicate)
• Lint Jobs: 2 (CI + Release duplicate)
• Setup Jobs: Multiple redundant setups
• Total Runner Minutes: ~30-45 minutes

After Optimization

Per PR/Push to main:

• CI Jobs: 4 (test matrix 2x2)
• Linting Jobs: 1 (consolidated in CI)
• Total Runner Minutes: ~15-20 minutes
• Redundant Executions: Eliminated

Per Release:

• Test Jobs: 0 (relies on CI status check)
• Lint Jobs: 0 (relies on CI status check)
• Setup Jobs: Minimal (only for release-specific tasks)
• Total Runner Minutes: ~5-10 minutes

Resource Reduction Summary

• Linting: 67% reduction (3 → 1 job per event)
• Testing: 50% reduction for releases (eliminated duplicate test matrix)
• Overall Runtime: ~60% reduction in total runner minutes
• Complexity: Simplified workflow dependencies and logic

Current Workflow Structure

1. CI Workflow (test.yml)

• Triggers: push, pull_request, merge_group
• Jobs: test (Node 22,24), lint, coverage
• Purpose: Primary quality gate for all code changes

2. Release Workflow (release.yml)

• Triggers: tags (v*..), manual dispatch
• Jobs: validate, check-ci, security, release
• Purpose: Streamlined release process with CI dependency

3. Security Workflows

• CodeQL: push/PR analysis + weekly scans
• Release Security: npm audit before release

4. Maintenance Workflows

• Stale: Daily cleanup of old issues/PRs
• Sync Labels: Daily label synchronization

Quality Assurance

Validation Steps Taken

1. YAML Syntax: All workflows pass yamllint validation
2. Action References: Verified all custom actions exist (.github/actions/*)
3. Dependency Logic: Confirmed workflow dependencies are correctly structured
4. Trigger Coverage: Ensured all necessary events still trigger appropriate workflows

Risk Mitigation

1. CI Status Check: Release workflow validates CI passed before proceeding
2. Fallback Options: Manual workflow dispatch available for releases
3. Security Maintained: All security scanning workflows preserved
4. Concurrency Controls: Proper concurrency groups prevent resource conflicts

Future Optimization Opportunities

Potential Further Improvements

1. Conditional Jobs: Skip certain jobs based on file changes (e.g., skip tests if only docs changed)
2. Caching Optimization: Enhanced npm/node_modules caching across workflows
3. Matrix Reduction: Consider reducing Node.js versions (keep only LTS + latest)
4. Parallel Security: Run security scans in parallel with CI rather than in release

Monitoring Recommendations

1. Track Runner Usage: Monitor GitHub Actions usage metrics
2. Performance Metrics: Measure workflow completion times
3. Failure Analysis: Ensure optimization doesn't increase failure rates
4. Cost Analysis: Evaluate runner minute consumption reduction

Implementation Impact

Immediate Benefits

• ✅ Faster CI: Reduced redundant executions
• ✅ Cleaner Logs: Simplified workflow status
• ✅ Resource Efficiency: ~60% reduction in runner minutes
• ✅ Maintainability: Consolidated logic, fewer files to manage

Maintained Capabilities

• ✅ Quality Gates: All testing and linting preserved
• ✅ Security: Full security scanning maintained
• ✅ Release Process: Streamlined but complete release pipeline
• ✅ Development Workflow: No impact on developer experience

The optimization successfully eliminated redundant workflow executions while maintaining all quality assurance and automation capabilities, resulting in significant resource savings and improved CI/CD efficiency.