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CircleCI Cheat Sheet

A comprehensive cheat sheet for CircleCI, covering configuration, commands, and best practices to streamline your CI/CD workflows.

Configuration Basics

`.circleci/config.yml` Structure

The config.yml file is the heart of your CircleCI configuration. It defines workflows, jobs, and steps.

Key Components:

  • version: Specifies the CircleCI configuration version.
  • orbs: Reusable packages of configuration.
  • jobs: Collection of steps.
  • workflows: Define how jobs are executed.

Example:

version: 2.1
orbs:
  heroku: circleci/[email protected]
jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.13
    steps:
      - checkout
      - run: npm install
workflows:
  build_and_deploy:
    jobs:
      - build

Common Configuration Keys

version

Specifies the version of the CircleCI configuration language. Currently 2.1 is recommended.

jobs

Defines individual tasks to be executed. Jobs contain steps.

workflows

Orchestrates the execution of jobs, defining dependencies and sequencing.

steps

A list of commands or pre-defined actions executed within a job.

docker

Specifies the Docker image to use for the job’s execution environment.

checkout

A special step that clones your repository into the workspace.

Workflow Configuration

Workflows define how jobs are executed and orchestrated. Key features include:

  • Sequencing: Define the order in which jobs run.
  • Dependencies: Specify that a job should only run after another job completes successfully.
  • Filters: Control when a job runs based on branches, tags, or other conditions.

Example:

workflows:
  build_and_deploy:
    jobs:
      - build
      - deploy: # job name
          requires: # specifies the dependent jobs
            - build
          filters:
            branches:
              only: main

Common Steps

Built-in Steps

checkout

Clones the repository into the workspace. Should be the first step in most jobs.

run

Executes shell commands. The most versatile step.

save_cache

Saves files or directories to the cache for reuse in subsequent jobs.

restore_cache

Restores files or directories from the cache.

store_artifacts

Uploads artifacts (e.g., test reports, binaries) to CircleCI for storage and retrieval.

persist_to_workspace

Saves data to a workspace that can be accessed by subsequent jobs in the workflow.

attach_workspace

Attaches the workspace to the current job.

Using the `run` Step

The run step executes shell commands.

Common Attributes:

  • name: A descriptive name for the step.
  • command: The shell command to execute.
  • shell: The shell to use (e.g., bash, sh).
  • working_directory: The directory in which to execute the command.

Example:

steps:
  - run:
      name: Install Dependencies
      command: npm install
      working_directory: ./frontend

Caching

Caching is crucial for speeding up builds. Use save_cache and restore_cache to cache dependencies and other frequently used files.

Best Practices:

  • Use a unique cache key based on dependency file hashes (e.g., package-lock.json).
  • Cache dependencies and build artifacts.
  • Invalidate the cache when dependencies change.

Example:

steps:
  - restore_cache:
      keys:
        - v1-dependencies-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
        - v1-dependencies
  - run:
      name: Install Dependencies
      command: npm install
  - save_cache:
      paths:
        - node_modules
      key: v1-dependencies-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}

Orbs and Integrations

Using Orbs

Orbs are reusable packages of CircleCI configuration. They simplify configuration and enable integration with third-party services.

Benefits:

  • Reduced configuration duplication.
  • Easy integration with popular tools and services.
  • Community-maintained and verified orbs.

Example: Using the Heroku Orb

version: 2.1
orbs:
  heroku: circleci/[email protected]
workflows:
  deploy:
    jobs:
      - heroku/deploy:
          app-name: my-app
          requires:
            - build

Common Orbs

circleci/heroku

For deploying to Heroku.

circleci/aws-s3

For interacting with AWS S3 buckets.

circleci/slack

For sending notifications to Slack channels.

circleci/docker-compose

For running Docker Compose commands.

fastly/fastly

For interacting with the Fastly CDN.

browser-tools/selenium-orb

For UI/browser testing

Integrating with Services

CircleCI integrates with numerous services through orbs and custom configurations.

Examples:

  • AWS: Deploy to EC2, Lambda, or S3 using the AWS CLI or orbs.
  • Google Cloud: Deploy to Google Cloud Platform using gcloud commands.
  • Slack: Send build status notifications to Slack channels.
  • Docker Hub: Build and push Docker images to Docker Hub.
  • NPM/Maven/etc: Publish packages to package registries

Advanced Features

Environment Variables

Environment variables are used to store sensitive information (e.g., API keys, passwords) and configure builds.

Setting Environment Variables:

  • In the CircleCI web interface (Project Settings -> Environment Variables).
  • Dynamically in the config.yml file using workflow parameters.

Accessing Environment Variables:

  • Use the $VAR_NAME syntax in run commands.

Example:

steps:
  - run:
      name: Deploy to Production
      command: | 
        ./deploy.sh $PRODUCTION_API_KEY

Workflow Parameters

parameters

Define parameters at the workflow level to customize job execution. These parameters can be passed to jobs.

types

Specify the type of parameter (e.g., string, boolean, integer, enum).

default

Set a default value for the parameter.

description

Add descriptive text to the parameter, to help users understand the expected value

Using SSH

Connect to remote servers using SSH. Useful for deploying applications or running remote commands. The add_ssh_keys step is used to add SSH keys to the environment.

Generating SSH Keys:

  • Generate a new SSH key pair using ssh-keygen.
  • Add the private key to CircleCI as an environment variable.
  • Add the public key to the remote server’s authorized_keys file.

Example:

steps:
  - add_ssh_keys:
      fingerprints:
        - "your_ssh_key_fingerprint"
  - run:
      name: Deploy via SSH
      command: ssh user@host './deploy.sh'