ci-workflow

CI Workflow

Generate GitHub Actions workflows that mirror local Makefile targets so local and CI behavior stay identical. Supports Go, Node.js, and combined stacks.

Instructions

Step 1 — Detect project context

Before generating anything, check the repository:

• Makefile: Does one exist? Which targets does it expose (check, test, build, lint, format)?
• Existing workflows: Is there already a .github/workflows/ directory? If so, read existing files to avoid conflicts.
• Language stack: Look for go.mod (Go), package.json (Node.js), or both.
• Go version: Check go.mod for the go directive; use that version in the matrix.
• Go linter config: Check for .golangci.yml or .golangci.yaml to confirm golangci-lint usage.
• Node version: Check .nvmrc, .node-version, or engines in package.json.

Step 2 — Choose strategy

Makefile?	Language	Strategy
Yes	Go	Makefile-first: make check, make test, make build
Yes	Node.js	Makefile-first: make check, make test, make build
Yes	Go + Node.js	Makefile-first: single make check covers both
No	Go	Direct commands: golangci-lint run, go test, go build
No	Node.js	Direct commands: npm ci, npm run lint, npm test, npm run build
No	Go + Node.js	Direct commands for each language in separate steps

Makefile-first is preferred because it keeps CI and local behavior identical. If no Makefile exists, suggest creating one with makefile-workflow first.

Step 3 — Generate workflow

Create .github/workflows/ci.yml using the patterns below.

Go + Makefile (recommended)

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
        with:
          go-version-file: go.mod

      - run: make check

      - run: make build

Go without Makefile

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
        with:
          go-version-file: go.mod

      - uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6

      - run: go test ./...

      - run: go build ./...

Node.js + Makefile

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version-file: .nvmrc
          cache: npm

      - run: npm ci

      - run: make check

      - run: make build

Node.js without Makefile

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version-file: .nvmrc
          cache: npm

      - run: npm ci

      - run: npm run lint

      - run: npm test

      - run: npm run build

Combined Go + Node.js

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
        with:
          go-version-file: go.mod

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version-file: .nvmrc
          cache: npm

      - run: npm ci

      - run: make check

      - run: make build

Step 4 — Validate

After generating the workflow file:

1. YAML syntax: Confirm the file is valid YAML (no tab indentation, correct nesting).
2. Referenced targets: If using Makefile-first strategy, verify the Makefile actually exposes the targets called in the workflow (e.g., check, build).
3. Action versions: Use pinned major versions (actions/checkout@v4, actions/setup-go@v5, actions/setup-node@v4).
4. Version sources: Confirm go-version-file / node-version-file point to files that exist.

Step 5 — Explain

After generating, summarize:

• Which strategy was chosen and why
• What each workflow step does
• How to trigger the workflow (push to main, open a PR)
• How to customize further (see table below)

Customization

Need	How
Matrix builds	Add strategy.matrix with Go or Node version arrays
Separate jobs per language	Split into go: and node: jobs under jobs:
Release on tag	Add on: push: tags: ['v*'] trigger with a release job
Coverage upload	Add a step after tests: uses: codecov/codecov-action@v4
Caching Go modules	actions/setup-go@v5 caches by default; no extra step needed
Caching Node modules	Use cache: npm (or pnpm) in actions/setup-node@v4
Branch protection	Recommend requiring the ci job to pass before merging

Best practices

• Concurrency control: Always include the concurrency block to cancel redundant runs on the same branch.
• Pin action versions: Use @v4 not @main for stability; dependabot can update these.
• Version from file: Prefer go-version-file: go.mod and node-version-file: .nvmrc over hardcoded version strings so CI tracks the same version developers use locally.
• Minimal permissions: Set permissions: contents: read at the workflow level; escalate per-job only when needed.
• Branch protection: After the workflow is running, suggest enabling required status checks on the ci job.

Cross-plugin synergy

If the project has no Makefile, suggest using the makefile-workflow plugin to create one first. This ensures both local (make check) and CI (make check) use the same commands, reducing drift between environments.