Triggering E2E Tests with GitHub Pull Requests

In this article, we will explore how to set up two repositories using GitHub Actions, and trigger end-to-end (E2E) tests for each pull request.

To begin, let's focus on the `repo bahmutov/todo-app-tests`, which runs our E2E tests. We have an action that shows the parameters being passed to this repository correctly. However, to trigger the workflow, we need the branch name, while we only know the pull request number (e.g., 12 or 20).

To solve this issue, we can utilize a reusable GitHub Action called `peter-evans/slash-command-dispatch`. This action allows us to create a 'slash' command that runs when a user enters a specific comment. In our case, the comment is `/cypress`, which triggers the workflow 'slash-command-cypress'.

When a pull request is opened or reviewed, we can ask developers to type this comment in the pull request comments section. This will trigger the test run for the E2E tests.

For those interested in learning more about the web application repository and tests repository, they can find the code at `bahmutov/todo-app` and `bahmutov/todo-app-tests`, respectively.

It's essential to understand the difference between using 'push' and 'pullrequest' triggers with GitHub Actions. While 'push' triggers actions when you push code changes, 'pullrequest' triggers actions only for pull requests, including those from forks.

In summary, whenever we open a web app pull request, we can enter a new comment with the text `/cypress` to trigger a test run in the tests repository. This blog post will describe how I set up two repositories using GitHub Actions and utilize E2E tests for each pull request.

Git hub pull request