metabuilder/docs/reference/ACT_INTEGRATION_ASSESSMENT.md

Act (GitHub Actions Local Runner) Integration Assessment

Status: ✅ GOOD INTEGRATION - Well-documented, properly configured, ready for use

Last Updated: December 25, 2025

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Summary

MetaBuilder has excellent integration with act, the GitHub Actions local runner. The project includes:

• ✅ Well-documented guides for local testing
• ✅ npm scripts for easy access to common workflows
• ✅ Diagnostic tooling to validate setup before running
• ✅ Helper scripts for testing individual workflows
• ✅ Comprehensive troubleshooting documentation
• ✅ GitHub workflow files properly configured

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What's Implemented

1. Documentation (3 Comprehensive Guides)

docs/guides/ACT_TESTING.md (546 lines)

• Installation instructions for all platforms (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• Quick start guide with interactive menu
• Troubleshooting section for common issues
• Usage examples and advanced patterns
• Best practices for CI workflow

docs/guides/github-actions-local-testing.md (430 lines)

• Technical deep dive into act functionality
• Workflow-specific testing examples
• Custom event payload documentation
• Secrets management guide
• Platform specifications

docs/implementation/ACT_IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md (484 lines)

• Complete implementation overview
• Detailed feature breakdown
• Usage examples and integration details

2. NPM Scripts (Easy Access)

npm run act              # Run GitHub Actions locally
npm run act:lint        # Test linting only
npm run act:e2e         # Test end-to-end tests only

All scripts delegate to scripts/run-act.sh with configuration options.

3. Helper Scripts (2 Bash Scripts)

scripts/run-act.sh (144 lines)

• Main wrapper script for act
• Validates act installation
• Supports workflow selection (-w)
• Supports job selection (-j)
• Supports event type simulation (-e)
• Supports custom Docker images (-p)
• User-friendly help and error messages
• Exit codes indicate success/failure

Example Usage:

# Run specific workflow
./scripts/run-act.sh -w ci.yml

# Run specific job
./scripts/run-act.sh -w ci.yml -j lint

# List available workflows
./scripts/run-act.sh -l

scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh (9.4 KB)

• Pre-flight diagnostic tool (runs without Docker)
• Validates package.json structure and scripts
• Checks for required dependencies
• Verifies Prisma setup and schema
• Validates Playwright configuration
• Inspects node_modules installation
• Checks workflow file syntax
• Provides detailed report with actionable fixes
• Color-coded output (Green ✓, Yellow ⚠, Red ✗)

Usage:

chmod +x scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh
./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh

scripts/test-workflows.sh (8.1 KB)

• Interactive menu-driven testing tool
• Lists all workflows and jobs
• Performs dry runs (preview mode)
• Tests individual components
• Runs full CI pipeline
• Verbose output mode
• Built-in diagnostics
• Saves logs to /tmp/ for analysis
• Color-coded output with summary report

Menu Options:

1. List all workflows
2. Dry run preview
3. Test Prisma setup
4. Test linting
5. Test build
6. Test E2E tests
7. Run full CI pipeline
8. Run with verbose output
9. Diagnose issues

Usage:

chmod +x scripts/test-workflows.sh
./scripts/test-workflows.sh

4. GitHub Workflows (16 Workflow Files)

All workflows are properly configured for act testing:

• ci.yml - Main CI/CD pipeline (lint, build, e2e tests)
• code-review.yml - Automated code review
• auto-merge.yml - Automatic PR merging
• issue-triage.yml - Issue categorization
• pr-management.yml - PR labeling and management
• merge-conflict-check.yml - Conflict detection
• planning.yml - Architecture and PRD review
• quality-metrics.yml - Code quality metrics
• size-limits.yml - Bundle size checks
• deployment.yml - Production deployment
• development.yml - Development environment setup
• cpp-build.yml - C++ DBAL daemon build
• Plus 4 others

All workflows use runs-on: ubuntu-latest and are compatible with act.

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Current Capabilities

What You Can Test Locally

Component	Command	Status
Prisma Setup	npm run act:lint or manual job	✅ Fully testable
Linting (ESLint)	npm run act:lint	✅ Fully testable
Type Checking	Via CI workflow	✅ Fully testable
Build	Via CI workflow	✅ Fully testable
E2E Tests (Playwright)	npm run act:e2e	✅ Fully testable
Code Review	Manual with act pull_request	✅ Can simulate
Full CI Pipeline	npm run act	✅ Fully testable
Merge Conflict Check	Via CI workflow	✅ Fully testable
Quality Metrics	Via CI workflow	✅ Fully testable

Tested Workflows

The following workflows have been verified to work with act:

• ✅ CI/CD - Prisma validation, linting, type checking, build, e2e tests
• ✅ Code Review - Security and quality checks (simulated locally)
• ✅ PR Management - Auto-labeling and descriptions
• ✅ Size Limits - Bundle size validation
• ✅ Quality Metrics - Code quality analysis
• ✅ C++ Build - DBAL daemon compilation

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Getting Started with Act

1. Install Act

macOS:

brew install act

Linux:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nektos/act/master/install.sh | sudo bash

Windows:

choco install act-cli

2. Verify Installation

act --version
docker info

3. Run Diagnostics (No Docker Required)

chmod +x scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh
./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh

4. Test a Single Workflow

npm run act:lint        # Test linting only

5. Run Full CI Pipeline

npm run act             # Run all CI jobs

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Recommendations for Improvement

1. ✅ .actrc Configuration File

.actrc is included in the repository root for consistent configuration:

-P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
--env ACT=true
-v

Benefit: Users get consistent behavior without manual -P flags.

2. ⭐ Add Act to GitHub Wiki/Docs

Create a quickstart guide in .github/ or link from main README:

## Local Testing with Act

To run GitHub Actions workflows locally before pushing:

1. Install: `brew install act` (macOS) or see [installation guide](docs/guides/ACT_TESTING.md)
2. Run: `npm run act:lint` or `npm run act`
3. Troubleshoot: `./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh`

See [comprehensive guide](docs/guides/ACT_TESTING.md) for details.

3. ✅ .secrets Template

.secrets.example is included for local secrets management:

GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here

Copy to .secrets and keep it gitignored.

4. GHA → NPM Script Mapping

Document all GitHub Actions as npm scripts for quick access:

Currently available:

• ✅ npm run act → Full CI pipeline
• ✅ npm run act:lint → ESLint
• ✅ npm run act:e2e → Playwright tests

Consider adding:

• npm run act:build → Production build
• npm run act:typecheck → TypeScript checks
• npm run act:prisma → Database setup
• npm run act:all → All checks (lint + build + tests)

5. ✅ Pre-commit Hook (Optional)

Install the provided hook:

cp scripts/pre-commit.hook .git/hooks/pre-commit
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

6. ✅ Pre-push Hook (Optional)

Install the provided hook:

cp scripts/pre-push.hook .git/hooks/pre-push
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-push

Skip with git push --no-verify or SKIP_ACT_PRE_PUSH=1 when needed.

7. CI Documentation Update

In .github/workflows/README.md, add section:

## Testing Locally with Act

Before pushing, test workflows locally:

```bash
npm run act              # Full CI pipeline
npm run act:lint        # Lint only
npm run act:e2e         # E2E tests only

See Act Testing Guide for details.

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## Known Limitations & Workarounds

### 1. **Docker Image Size**
- **Issue:** First run downloads ~5GB Docker image
- **Workaround:** Use smaller image: `act -P ubuntu-latest=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest`
- **Status:** Documented in guides

### 2. **GitHub Secrets**
- **Issue:** GitHub Secrets not available locally
- **Workaround:** Use `.secrets` file with `--secret-file`
- **Status:** Documented with examples

### 3. **Workflow_run Events**
- **Issue:** Some workflows triggered by other workflows need simulation
- **Workaround:** Use custom event payloads or manual triggering
- **Status:** Documented in technical guide

### 4. **Large Workflows**
- **Issue:** Some workflows may timeout on slower systems
- **Workaround:** Test individual jobs with `-j` flag
- **Status:** Workaround provided in scripts

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## Quality Metrics

### Documentation Completeness
- ✅ Installation: **Complete** (all platforms covered)
- ✅ Quick Start: **Complete** (5-step guide)
- ✅ Troubleshooting: **Comprehensive** (8+ common issues)
- ✅ Advanced Usage: **Documented** (custom payloads, secrets, etc.)
- ✅ Workflow Examples: **Complete** (all 16 workflows covered)

### Tooling Coverage
- ✅ Installation Check: `scripts/run-act.sh` validates act exists
- ✅ Pre-flight Diagnostics: `scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh` (no Docker needed)
- ✅ Interactive Testing: `scripts/test-workflows.sh` (menu-driven)
- ✅ Individual Job Testing: Via npm scripts
- ✅ Full Pipeline Testing: Via `npm run act`

### User Experience
- ✅ Easy Install: Single package manager command
- ✅ Easy Testing: Three npm scripts cover 90% of use cases
- ✅ Clear Output: Color-coded, actionable error messages
- ✅ Self-Documenting: Scripts have built-in help (`-h` flag)
- ✅ Safe: Diagnostic script runs without Docker

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## Integration with SDLC

### Development Workflow

1. Make changes locally
2. Run: npm run act:lint → Test linting
3. Run: npm run act:e2e → Test tests
4. Run: npm run act → Full pipeline
5. Fix any issues
6. Push to GitHub

### Before Push Checklist

```bash
# 1. Diagnose any setup issues
./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh

# 2. Test critical paths
npm run act:lint
npm run act:e2e

# 3. Run full CI to match GitHub
npm run act

# 4. Push with confidence
git push origin feature-branch

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Integration Status by Feature

Feature	Status	Completeness	Notes
Installation	✅ Ready	100%	All platforms covered
Documentation	✅ Ready	100%	3 comprehensive guides
NPM Scripts	✅ Ready	85%	Consider adding more mappings
Diagnostics	✅ Ready	95%	Pre-flight validation working
Testing Tools	✅ Ready	90%	Interactive menu available
Workflow Support	✅ Ready	95%	16 workflows configured
Secrets Management	✅ Ready	90%	Template provided; .secrets stays local
.actrc Config	✅ Ready	100%	Default config committed
Git Hooks	✅ Ready	100%	Pre-commit + pre-push hooks available

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Conclusion

MetaBuilder has excellent act integration:

✅ Strengths:

• Comprehensive documentation with 3 detailed guides
• Multiple helper scripts for different use cases
• Pre-flight diagnostics avoid wasted time
• Easy npm scripts for quick access
• All 16 workflows configured and testable
• Clear troubleshooting documentation

⚠️ Areas for Enhancement:

• Add more npm script mappings (typecheck, prisma, build)
• Optional: install pre-commit/pre-push hooks for automated validation

💡 Next Steps:

1. Install act: brew install act (or equivalent)
2. Run diagnostics: ./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh
3. Test locally: npm run act
4. Reference guides: docs/guides/ACT_TESTING.md

Overall Grade: A-

The integration is production-ready with excellent documentation and tooling. Minor enhancements would bring it to A+ status.

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Quick Reference

Essential Commands

# Installation
brew install act                    # macOS
sudo bash -c "$(curl https://...)" # Linux
choco install act-cli               # Windows

# NPM shortcuts
npm run act              # Run all CI workflows
npm run act:lint        # Test linting
npm run act:e2e         # Test E2E tests

# Direct act commands
act -l                   # List all jobs
act push                 # Run push event workflows
act -j lint             # Run specific job
act -n                  # Dry run (preview)
act -v                  # Verbose output

# Diagnostics
./scripts/diagnose-workflows.sh    # Pre-flight check
./scripts/test-workflows.sh        # Interactive testing

Documentation Index

• Getting Started: docs/guides/ACT_TESTING.md
• Technical Details: docs/guides/github-actions-local-testing.md
• Implementation: docs/implementation/ACT_IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md
• Workflow Info: .github/workflows/README.md

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For questions or issues, refer to the troubleshooting sections in the comprehensive guides.