Table of Contents

GitHub workflows

It is common to use GitHub Workflows to achieve a build host.

Detection

Git2SemVer does not automatically detect when it is running within a GitHub workflow. To use Git2SemVer's GitHub host, set the MSBuild property Git2SemVer_Env_HostType to GitHub on the build command line like:

    - name: Build Project
      run: dotnet build MyApplication.sln -p:Git2SemVer_Env_HostType=GitHub

Build number

Github workflows do not provide a build number.

Important

github.run_number does not uniquely identify every build. It increments on each new run but does not change if a "run" is rebuilt.

Using run_number alone as a defacto build number will result in some builds being untraceable.

There are two workarounds:

  1. Git2SemVer can construct composite build number (Build ID) is constructed from the run number and the run attempt count.
  2. Use a custom GitHub action like build-tag-number. Using a Custom action is not discussed here.

To construct a composite build number, in the github workflow yml pass the run number and the run attempt count to Git2SemVer like this:

    - name: Build Project
      env:
          RUN_NUMBER: ${{ github.run_number }}
          RUN_ATTEMPT: ${{ github.run_attempt }}
      run: |
          dotnet build MyApplication.sln -p:Git2SemVer_BuildNumber=${{ env.run_number }} \
                                         -p:Git2SemVer_BuildContext=${{ env.run_attempt }} \
                                         -p:Git2SemVer_Env_HostType=GitHub

Git2SemVer's GitHub host object then provides a unique Build ID for every build with the format:

<github.run_number>.<github.run_attempt>
    or
<build number>.<build context>

An example scenario:

On a new build after a commit this build ID is: 12345.1.

Then that "run" is rebuilt and versioned with the build ID: 12345.2.

Then, there is another commit, and a new run is versioned with the build ID: 12346.1.

Note

GitHub build versions are identifyable as the only versions where the first 2 prerelease or metadata (if a releaase) identifiers are numeric.

Example versions with the build ID identifiers highlighted:

  • 1.2.3-12345.1
  • 1.2.3-12345.1+3a962b33
  • 1.2.3+12345.1.3a962b33

The build context identifier (run attempt) comes second to ensure correct Semmantic Versioning pecedence of rebuilds.

Properties

The GitHub build host object's properties:

Host property Description
Build number Default is 'UNKNOWN'. Set via MSBuild Git2SemVer_BuildNumber property to github.run_number in the workflow.
Build context Default is 'UNKNOWN'. Set via MSBuild Git2SemVer_BuildContext property to github.run_attempt in the workflow.
Build ID <build context>.<build number>
Name 'GitHub'

Services

Service Description
BumpBuildNumber Not supported (does nothing)
ReportBuildStatistic Not supported (does nothing)
SetBuildLabel Not supported (does nothing)
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