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Release System

Release System Git Tag Branch Deploy

The GitHub Action Reusable Workflows for Python project uses an automated release system that creates Git tags, GitHub releases, and deployment branches based on release intent configuration.

Overview​

The release system is designed for managing reusable workflow releases with:

  • Intent-Driven Configuration: YAML-based release configuration in .github/tag_and_release/
  • Automated Git Tagging: Automatic version tag creation based on release intent
  • GitHub Release Creation: Automated release notes and GitHub release publishing
  • Branch Deployment: Creates version-specific branches for workflow consumption
  • Reusable Workflow Testing: Validates workflows before release

Main Release Workflow​

CI/CD Workflow (ci-cd.yaml)​

CI

Purpose: Automated release management for reusable GitHub Actions workflows

Triggers:

  • Push to master branch when:
    • Release configuration changes (.github/tag_and_release/**)
    • CI/CD workflow changes (.github/workflows/ci-cd.yaml)
    • Reusable workflow changes (.github/workflows/rw_**.yaml)
    • CI scripts change (scripts/ci/**.sh)

Workflow Architecture:

Workflow Jobs​

The CI/CD workflow consists of two main jobs:

Job 1: Build Git Tag and Create GitHub Release​

build_git-tag_and_create_github-release:
  uses: ./.github/workflows/rw_build_git-tag_and_create_github-release.yaml
  secrets:
    github_auth_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
  with:
    project_type: github-action-reusable-workflow
    debug_mode: false

What it does:

  • Calls the reusable workflow rw_build_git-tag_and_create_github-release.yaml
  • Reads release intent from .github/tag_and_release/intent.yaml
  • Creates Git tags based on version configuration
  • Generates GitHub releases with release notes
  • Outputs release version information

Outputs:

  • github-action_reusable_workflow_release_version: The release version type (e.g., "Production", "Pre-Release")

Job 2: Deploy as New Branch​

deploy_as_new_branch:
  needs: build_git-tag_and_create_github-release
  if: ${{ needs.build_git-tag_and_create_github-release.outputs.github-action_reusable_workflow_release_version != 'Pre-Release' }}
  runs-on: ubuntu-latest
  env:
    RELEASE_TYPE: ${{ needs.build_git-tag_and_create_github-release.outputs.github-action_reusable_workflow_release_version }}
    DEBUG_MODE: false
  steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v5
    
    - name: Check it whether get the output of previous one job which has version info or not
      run: bash scripts/ci/check_getting_output.sh
    
    - name: Create new git branch by the tagged commit
      run: bash ./scripts/ci/deployment_new_version_workflow.sh $DEBUG_MODE

What it does:

  • Runs only if the release is NOT a pre-release
  • Verifies the release version output from the previous job
  • Creates a new Git branch based on the tagged commit
  • Enables users to reference specific workflow versions (e.g., @v1.0.0)

Release Intent Configuration​

The release system uses a YAML-based configuration file located at .github/tag_and_release/intent.yaml to control release behavior.

Configuration Structure​

# Release intent configuration
release: true              # Enable/disable release
level: "patch"            # Version bump level: patch, minor, major, or auto
artifacts:
  github-action-reusable-workflow: "auto"  # Release mode for workflows
notes: "Release notes describing changes"

Release Levels​

  • patch: Bug fixes and minor updates (0.0.x)
  • minor: New features, backward compatible (0.x.0)
  • major: Breaking changes (x.0.0)
  • auto: Automatically determine level based on changes

Artifact Modes​

  • auto: Release if changes detected
  • force: Always release
  • skip: Skip release

How Releases Work​

1. Version Tagging​

When changes are pushed to master:

  1. The workflow reads .github/tag_and_release/intent.yaml
  2. Determines if a release is needed based on configuration
  3. Creates a Git tag with the new version (e.g., v1.2.3)
  4. Pushes the tag to the repository

2. GitHub Release Creation​

After tagging:

  1. Reads release notes from .github/tag_and_release/release-notes.md
  2. Creates a GitHub release with the tag
  3. Attaches release notes and changelog
  4. Marks as pre-release or production release

3. Branch Deployment​

For production releases (not pre-releases):

  1. Creates a new branch from the tagged commit
  2. Branch name matches the version (e.g., v1.2.3)
  3. Enables users to reference specific versions in their workflows: 
    uses: Chisanan232/GitHub-Action_Reusable_Workflows-Python/.github/workflows/rw_run_test.yaml@v1.2.3