Improving Elixir CI with GitHub Actions

Almir Sarajčić discusses the evolution of continuous integration (CI) for Elixir applications, particularly the use of GitHub Actions. He starts by examining common challenges with traditional CI approaches, such as linear job execution and inefficient caching, which can lead to slow feedback cycles for developers waiting on pull request checks. Sarajčić proposes an optimized method to parallelize work, reducing wait times, and improve caching strategies to ensure quicker CI turnaround without sacrificing cache usefulness. He explains how properly structuring CI jobs and employing effective caching can lead to a more efficient development workflow. In addition to addressing common pitfalls, the article outlines a new approach that includes separate, parallel jobs for different checks, a unified compilation cache, and considerations for managing GitHub Actions' cache limits and costs. Tools and scripts to support local CI checks and how to implement these CI improvements are also shared, with a callout to further resources and posts for readers interested in enhancing their DevOps practices with Elixir.