CodeQL workflow (mdo/github-buttons)

The CodeQL workflow from mdo/github-buttons, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

CI health: C - fair

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Source: mdo/github-buttons.github/workflows/codeql.ymlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the CodeQL workflow from the mdo/github-buttons repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its Apache-2.0 license.

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

The workflow

workflow (.yml)

name: "CodeQL"

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master
      - "!dependabot/**"
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - master
      - "!dependabot/**"
  schedule:
    - cron: "0 0 * * 0"
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  analyze:
    name: Analyze
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      actions: read
      contents: read
      security-events: write

    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
        with:
          persist-credentials: false

      - name: Initialize CodeQL
        uses: github/codeql-action/init@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2
        with:
          config-file: ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml
          languages: "javascript"
          queries: +security-and-quality

      - name: Autobuild
        uses: github/codeql-action/autobuild@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2

      - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2
        with:
          category: "/language:javascript"

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Removes redundant runs and caps runaway jobs. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

name: "CodeQL"
 
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - master
      - "!dependabot/**"
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - master
      - "!dependabot/**"
  schedule:
    - cron: "0 0 * * 0"
  workflow_dispatch:
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  analyze:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    name: Analyze
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    permissions:
      actions: read
      contents: read
      security-events: write
 
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
        with:
          persist-credentials: false
 
      - name: Initialize CodeQL
        uses: github/codeql-action/init@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2
        with:
          config-file: ./.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml
          languages: "javascript"
          queries: +security-and-quality
 
      - name: Autobuild
        uses: github/codeql-action/autobuild@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2
 
      - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@95e58e9a2cdfd71adc6e0353d5c52f41a045d225 # v4.35.2
        with:
          category: "/language:javascript"

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.
Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

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

actions/checkout github/codeql-action