Build Frontend workflow (stanford-crfm/helm)
The Build Frontend workflow from stanford-crfm/helm, explained and optimized by Latchkey.
CI health: F - at risk
Point runs-on at Latchkey and get caching, run de-duplication, job timeouts, SHA-pinned actions, self-healing for flaky steps, and up to 58% lower cost, applied automatically.
What it does
This is the Build Frontend workflow from the stanford-crfm/helm 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
# Build the frontend from source, and open a pull request to commit the build artifacts.
# This allows Python users to use the React frontend without installing and running Node.
name: Build Frontend
on:
push:
branches:
- 'main'
paths:
- 'helm-frontend/**'
- '.github/workflows/build-frontend.yml'
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: '18'
- name: Install Yarn
working-directory: ./helm-frontend
run: npm install --global yarn
- name: Install dependencies
working-directory: ./helm-frontend
run: yarn install
- name: Build app
working-directory: ./helm-frontend
run: yarn build --outDir '../src/helm/benchmark/static_build' --emptyOutDir
- name: Write README.md
run: echo -e '# Frontend Build\n\nThis directory is automatically generated by GitHub Actions and contains a static site built from helm-frontend. Do not modify this directory!' > src/helm/benchmark/static_build/README.md
- name: Git add
run: git add --force src/helm/benchmark/static_build
- name: Create pull request
uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6
with:
commit-message: Build frontend
branch: actions/build-frontend
delete-branch: true
title: 'Build frontend'
body: Auto-generated from GitHub Actions.
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.
# Build the frontend from source, and open a pull request to commit the build artifacts. # This allows Python users to use the React frontend without installing and running Node. name: Build Frontend on: push: branches: - 'main' paths: - 'helm-frontend/**' - '.github/workflows/build-frontend.yml' concurrency: group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }} cancel-in-progress: true jobs: build: timeout-minutes: 30 runs-on: latchkey-small steps: - name: Checkout code uses: actions/checkout@v4 - name: Use Node.js uses: actions/setup-node@v4 with: cache: 'npm' node-version: '18' - name: Install Yarn working-directory: ./helm-frontend run: npm install --global yarn - name: Install dependencies working-directory: ./helm-frontend run: yarn install - name: Build app working-directory: ./helm-frontend run: yarn build --outDir '../src/helm/benchmark/static_build' --emptyOutDir - name: Write README.md run: echo -e '# Frontend Build\n\nThis directory is automatically generated by GitHub Actions and contains a static site built from helm-frontend. Do not modify this directory!' > src/helm/benchmark/static_build/README.md - name: Git add run: git add --force src/helm/benchmark/static_build - name: Create pull request uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v6 with: commit-message: Build frontend branch: actions/build-frontend delete-branch: true title: 'Build frontend' body: Auto-generated from GitHub Actions.
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 useslatchkey-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.
- Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.
1 third-party action is referenced by a movable tag. Pin it to the commit SHA (Latchkey resolves and applies this automatically) so a repointed tag cannot change what runs.
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 per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.