How to get Build Number in GitHub Actions ?

GitHub Actions is a powerful automation tool provided by GitHub, designed to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration among developers. It plays a vital role in CI/CD pipelines by automating tasks such as testing, building, and deploying software projects. With GitHub Actions, developers can define custom workflows using YAML syntax directly within their repositories, allowing for seamless integration of various tools and processes into their development workflows. This enables teams to automate repetitive tasks, accelerate development cycles, and ensure the quality and reliability of their software releases.

Importance Of Build Numbers

Build numbers play a crucial role in CI/CD workflows by providing a unique identifier for each build of a software project. They are essential for tracking and identifying specific builds throughout the development lifecycle, enabling teams to quickly reference and retrieve information about past builds. Build numbers facilitate debugging and troubleshooting by allowing developers to pinpoint issues and errors that occurred in a particular build. Additionally, they ensure traceability and reproducibility by enabling teams to recreate builds with the same configuration and dependencies, aiding in collaboration and ensuring consistent results across environments. Overall, build numbers are essential for maintaining visibility, reliability, and consistency in CI/CD workflows.

Step-By-Step To Get Build Number In GitHub Actions

Step 1: Create a repository.

Step 2: Here is the GitHub repository called build number and the action file named blan.yaml.

Step 3: Here is the sample action file user the workflows named as blank.yaml.

name: Get Build Number

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  get-build-number:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Output Run ID
      run: echo ${{ github.run_id }}
    - name: Output Run Number
      run: echo ${{ github.run_number }}
    - name: Output Run Attempt
      run: echo ${{ github.run_attempt }}

• Output Run ID: This step prints the unique identifier (ID) assigned to the current workflow run. The ${{ github.run_id }} syntax is a GitHub Actions expression that retrieves the ID of the workflow run.
• Output Run Number: This step prints the sequential number assigned to the current workflow run. The ${{ github.run_number }} syntax is a GitHub Actions expression that retrieves the number of the workflow run.
• Output Run Attempt: This step prints the number of attempts made to run the workflow. The ${{ github.run_attempt }} syntax is a GitHub Actions expression that retrieves the attempt number of the workflow run.

Step 4: Her is the buld log executed after save the blank.yaml.

Step 5: We need to update the content on readme file and the action file executed now the pipeline is triggering the image and verify the buils number in the images as well.

Step 6: Here you can see the build number 3 on the console output.

• github.run_id: This is a unique identifier assigned to each individual workflow run in a repository. It remains the same even if you re-run the workflow.
• github.run_number: This is a unique number assigned to each run of a specific workflow in a repository. It starts from 1 for the first run and increments with each subsequent run, regardless of re-runs.
• github.run_attempt: This is a unique number assigned to each attempt of a particular workflow run in a repository. It starts from 1 for the initial run attempt and increments with each re-run of the workflow run.

Customizing Workflow Outputs In GitHub Actions

Outputting Build Numbers:

• Use workflow syntax to capture and output build numbers during workflow runs.
• Customize the format or content of build numbers to suit project requirements.

Accessing and Displaying Build Numbers:

• Utilize environment variables or context provided by the CI/CD platform to access build numbers.
• Incorporate code snippets within workflow steps to display build numbers in logs or outputs.

Best Practices:

• Standardize the naming convention and format of build numbers across workflows to ensure consistency.
• Consider including relevant metadata or context in build numbers for better traceability and debugging.
• Implement error handling mechanisms to gracefully handle scenarios where build numbers are unavailable or invalid.

Advanced Usage and Considerations

Critical Role of Build Numbers:

• Build numbers play a crucial role in versioning and release management.
• They enable precise tracking and identification of specific builds in complex CI/CD pipelines.
• Build numbers facilitate auditing, debugging, and troubleshooting processes by providing a unique identifier for each build.

Managing and Manipulating Build Numbers:

• Advanced techniques involve customizing build numbers to meet specific project requirements.
• Techniques include incorporating additional metadata or context into build numbers, such as commit hashes or branch names.
• Automation tools and scripts can be utilized to dynamically generate and assign build numbers based on predefined criteria.

Challenges and Limitations:

• One common challenge is ensuring consistency and uniqueness of build numbers across different workflows and environments.
• Handling scenarios where builds are triggered simultaneously or in parallel can lead to conflicts or inconsistencies in build numbers.
• Limitations may arise when integrating with external systems or tools that rely on specific formats or conventions for build numbers.

Get Build Number In GitHub Actions – FAQ’s

What is build in GitHub Actions?

A build in GitHub Actions refers to the process of executing defined workflow steps to automate tasks such as code compilation, testing, and deployment within a CI/CD pipeline, facilitating software development and delivery. It typically involves running commands or scripts defined in YAML files to build, validate, and prepare software artifacts for deployment.

Can we run GitHub Actions locally?

Yes, GitHub Actions can be run locally using tools like act or GitHub’s official GitHub CLI. This allows developers to test workflows and actions locally before pushing changes to repositories.

Where is build in GitHub?

In GitHub, the term “build” typically refers to the process of compiling, testing, and packaging software code. This process often occurs within CI/CD workflows defined using tools like GitHub Actions or third-party CI/CD platforms integrated with GitHub repositories.