standard-ci workflow (mongo-express/mongo-express)

The standard-ci workflow from mongo-express/mongo-express, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

What it does

This is the standard-ci workflow from the mongo-express/mongo-express 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: standard-ci

on:
  pull_request:
    paths-ignore:
      - '**.md'
  push:
    branches:
      - master
    paths-ignore:
      - '**.md'

jobs:
  test:
    strategy:
      matrix:
        node: [18, 20, 22.4.1]
        os: [ubuntu-latest]
    name: Node v${{ matrix.node }} - ${{ matrix.os }}
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

    services:
      mongodb:
        image: mongo
        ports:
        - 27017:27017

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3

    - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}

    - name: Install dependencies
      run: yarn install --immutable

    - name: Build
      run: yarn build

    - name: Test
      run: yarn mocha

    - name: Lint
      run: yarn lint

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: standard-ci
 
on:
  pull_request:
    paths-ignore:
      - '**.md'
  push:
    branches:
      - master
    paths-ignore:
      - '**.md'
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  test:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    strategy:
      matrix:
        node: [18, 20, 22.4.1]
        os: [ubuntu-latest]
    name: Node v${{ matrix.node }} - ${{ matrix.os }}
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
    services:
      mongodb:
        image: mongo
        ports:
        - 27017:27017
 
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
    - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        cache: 'npm'
        node-version: ${{ matrix.node }}
 
    - name: Install dependencies
      run: yarn install --immutable
 
    - name: Build
      run: yarn build
 
    - name: Test
      run: yarn mocha
 
    - name: Lint
      run: yarn lint
 
 

What changed

• Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.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.
• Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

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

This workflow runs 1 job (3 with the matrix expanded) per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow