Node.js CI workflow (nextapps-de/flexsearch)

The Node.js CI workflow from nextapps-de/flexsearch, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

CI health: A - excellent

Point runs-on at Latchkey and get run de-duplication, self-healing for flaky steps, and up to 58% lower cost, applied automatically.

Grade your own workflow free or run it on Latchkey →

Source: nextapps-de/flexsearch.github/workflows/node.js.ymlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the Node.js CI workflow from the nextapps-de/flexsearch 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)

# This workflow will do a clean installation of node dependencies, cache/restore them, build the source code and run tests across different versions of node
# For more information see: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/automating-builds-and-tests/building-and-testing-nodejs

name: Node.js CI

permissions:
  contents: read
  pull-requests: write

on:
  push:
    branches: [ "master" ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ "master" ]

jobs:
  # Label of the container job
  build:
    # Containers must run in Linux based operating systems
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    timeout-minutes: 10

#    # Docker Hub image that `container-job` executes in
#    container: node:20-bookworm-slim
#
#    # Service containers to run with `container-job`
#    services:
#      # Label used to access the service container
#      postgres:
#        # Docker Hub image
#        image: postgres
#        # Provide the password for postgres
#        env:
#          POSTGRES_USER: postgres
#          POSTGRES_PASSWORD: postgres
#          POSTGRES_DATABASE: postgres
#          POSTGRES_HOST: postgres
#          POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
#
#        # Set health checks to wait until postgres has started
#        options: >-
#          --health-cmd pg_isready
#          --health-interval 10s
#          --health-timeout 5s
#          --health-retries 5

    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [20.x, 22.x, 24.x] # 18.x
        # See supported Node.js release schedule at https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
    - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
      with:
        node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        cache: 'npm'
    - uses: actions/setup-java@v1
      with:
        java-version: 21
    - run: npm install
    - run: npm run build:compact
    - run: npm run build:module:compact
    - run: npm run build:light
    - run: npm run build:module:light
    - run: npm install
      working-directory: test
    - run: npm run test:github
      working-directory: test

The same workflow, on Latchkey

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

# This workflow will do a clean installation of node dependencies, cache/restore them, build the source code and run tests across different versions of node
# For more information see: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/automating-builds-and-tests/building-and-testing-nodejs
 
name: Node.js CI
 
permissions:
  contents: read
  pull-requests: write
 
on:
  push:
    branches: [ "master" ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ "master" ]
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  # Label of the container job
  build:
    # Containers must run in Linux based operating systems
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    timeout-minutes: 10
 
#    # Docker Hub image that `container-job` executes in
#    container: node:20-bookworm-slim
#
#    # Service containers to run with `container-job`
#    services:
#      # Label used to access the service container
#      postgres:
#        # Docker Hub image
#        image: postgres
#        # Provide the password for postgres
#        env:
#          POSTGRES_USER: postgres
#          POSTGRES_PASSWORD: postgres
#          POSTGRES_DATABASE: postgres
#          POSTGRES_HOST: postgres
#          POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
#
#        # Set health checks to wait until postgres has started
#        options: >-
#          --health-cmd pg_isready
#          --health-interval 10s
#          --health-timeout 5s
#          --health-retries 5
 
    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [20.x, 22.x, 24.x] # 18.x
        # See supported Node.js release schedule at https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/
 
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
    - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
      with:
        node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        cache: 'npm'
    - uses: actions/setup-java@v1
      with:
        java-version: 21
    - run: npm install
    - run: npm run build:compact
    - run: npm run build:module:compact
    - run: npm run build:light
    - run: npm run build:module:light
    - run: npm install
      working-directory: test
    - run: npm run test:github
      working-directory: 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.

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

actions/checkout actions/setup-node actions/setup-java