Automated tests workflow (cytoscape/cytoscape.js)

The Automated tests workflow from cytoscape/cytoscape.js, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

What it does

This is the Automated tests workflow from the cytoscape/cytoscape.js repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its MIT license.

Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.

The workflow

name: Automated tests
on: [push, pull_request]
permissions:
  contents: read
jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 5
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v6
    - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
      with:
        node-version-file: .nvmrc
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: npm ci
    - name: Install Playwright Browsers
      run: npx playwright install --with-deps
    - name: Run tests
      run: npm test

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Estimated ~20% faster on cache hits, plus fewer wasted runs and a safer supply chain. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

name: Automated tests
on: [push, pull_request]
permissions:
  contents: read
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  ci:
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    timeout-minutes: 5
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v6
    - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
      with:
        cache: 'npm'
        node-version-file: .nvmrc
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: npm ci
    - name: Install Playwright Browsers
      run: npx playwright install --with-deps
    - name: Run tests
      run: npm test
 

What changed

• Run on Latchkey managed runners with one line (runs-on), which apply the fixes below automatically and self-heal transient failures. This example uses latchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job.
• Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
• Cache dependency installs on the setup step so they are served from cache.

What Latchkey heals here

This workflow has steps that commonly fail on transient issues (network, registries, flaky browsers). On Latchkey managed runners they are detected, retried, and self-healed instead of failing your build:

• Dependency installs
• End-to-end and browser tests

This workflow runs 1 job per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow