CI CD Pipeline Builder

CI/CD Pipeline Builder

What You Get

• GitHub Actions or GitLab CI YAML file ready to commit
• Dependency caching, pinned versions, test + lint + build stages

Philosophy

Start with a minimal reliable pipeline that runs tests on every push. Add complexity only when justified. A pipeline that is fast and trustworthy is better than one that is comprehensive and flaky.

Workflow: 5 Phases

Phase 1: Detect Stack

Scan the repository for manifests, lockfiles, and configuration files. See stack-detection.md for the full signal table. Identify:

• Primary language(s) and runtime versions
• Package manager and lockfile
• Test framework and test command
• Linter and formatter
• Build tool and build command
• Monorepo structure (if applicable)

Phase 2: Choose Platform

Default to GitHub Actions unless the project already uses GitLab CI or the user requests otherwise. Check for existing pipeline files:

• .github/workflows/*.yml -- GitHub Actions
• .gitlab-ci.yml -- GitLab CI

If a pipeline already exists, extend it rather than replacing it.

Phase 3: Generate Pipeline

Start with the minimal reliable baseline from pipeline-templates.md:

1. Install dependencies (with caching)
2. Run linter/formatter check
3. Run tests
4. Build (if applicable)

Use the detected runtime version. Pin action versions to specific SHAs or major versions. Use lockfile-based caching.

Phase 4: Validate

Before presenting the pipeline to the user:

• Verify all referenced tools are in the project's dependencies
• Check that test/lint/build commands match the project's configuration
• Ensure secrets are referenced by name, not hardcoded
• Confirm the runner OS matches the project's requirements

Phase 5: Add Deployment Stages

Only if the user requests deployment. Add stages for:

• Staging deployment (on merge to main)
• Production deployment (on tag or manual trigger)
• Environment-specific secrets and approvals

Keep deployment stages separate from CI stages. CI should pass before deployment is attempted.

WRONG: floating versions

# WRONG: unpinned action version, no caching, floating runtime
- uses: actions/setup-node@latest
- run: npm ci && npm test

CORRECT: pinned and cached

# CORRECT: pinned action, lockfile cache, explicit runtime
- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
    cache: 'npm'
- run: npm ci
- run: npm test

Rules

• Always cache dependencies. Uncached CI is a waste of compute.
• Pin versions: actions, runtimes, dependencies. Floating versions cause flaky builds.
• Keep pipelines under 10 minutes. If slower, parallelize or split.
• Never store secrets in pipeline files. Use the platform's secrets manager.
• Run the full test suite, not a subset. Partial CI is worse than no CI.

Sub-files