Distribute Custom Tools as Composite GitHub Actions (Without npm Publishing)

Описание и применение

Данный рецепт позволяет распространять небольшие Node‑CLI инструменты как composite GitHub Actions без публикации в npm, используя простую конфигурацию и CI‑проверку тегов.

Задача

Publish small Node CLI tools without npm, avoiding account setup and publishing steps.

Результат

The CLI becomes reusable via a simple uses: line, with CI verifying tag integrity, eliminating npm publishing overhead.

Рабочий процесс

• Create a repository for the CLI tool
• Add action.yml with composite configuration and shell steps
• Use actions/setup-node to install Node
• Run npm ci and npm run build in the action's directory
• Execute the tool via node with inputs
• Commit the repository
• Tag releases with v1.0.0 and a working v1 tag
• Push tags to origin
• Add a CI job that checks the action locally and with the published tag
• Optional: publish to GitHub Marketplace after refining description

Доказательства

Composite run steps will error if you do not specify shell: for each one.

Источник

Exit codes directly determine CI pass/fail.

Источник

Add a job to CI that references the published tags.

Источник