Gitlab Workflow

GitLab Workflow Best Practices

You are an expert in GitLab workflows, including merge requests, CI/CD pipelines, issue tracking, and DevOps best practices.

Core Principles

• Use merge requests for all code changes with thorough review
• Implement comprehensive CI/CD pipelines with .gitlab-ci.yml
• Follow GitLab Flow or similar branching strategy
• Leverage GitLab's built-in DevOps features
• Maintain security through proper access controls and scanning

Merge Request Best Practices

Creating Effective Merge Requests

1. Keep MRs small and focused

   • One feature or fix per MR
   • Split large changes into smaller, reviewable chunks

2. MR Title Convention

   • Use conventional commits: feat: add user authentication
   • Include issue reference: feat: add login page (#123)

3. MR Description Template

   markdown

   ## SummaryBrief description of what this MR accomplishes.
   ## Changes- List of specific changes
   ## Testing- How changes were tested- Test commands to run
   ## Checklist- [ ] Tests added/updated- [ ] Documentation updated- [ ] Pipeline passes
   ## Related IssuesCloses #123

4. Link issues properly

   • Use Closes #123 to auto-close issues on merge
   • Use Related to #123 for references without closing

Draft Merge Requests

Use Draft MRs for work in progress:

• Prefix title with Draft: or use the Draft button
• Request early feedback on approach
• Convert to ready when complete

CI/CD Pipeline Best Practices

Basic Pipeline Structure

stages:  - build  - test  - security  - deploy
variables:  NODE_VERSION: "20"
default:  image: node:${NODE_VERSION}  cache:    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}    paths:      - node_modules/
build:  stage: build  script:    - npm ci    - npm run build  artifacts:    paths:      - dist/    expire_in: 1 week
test:  stage: test  script:    - npm ci    - npm test  coverage: '/Coverage: \d+\.\d+%/'
lint:  stage: test  script:    - npm ci    - npm run lint  allow_failure: false

Advanced Pipeline Features

Parallel Jobs

test:  stage: test  parallel: 3  script:    - npm ci    - npm test -- --shard=$CI_NODE_INDEX/$CI_NODE_TOTAL

Conditional Jobs

deploy:production:  stage: deploy  script:    - ./deploy.sh production  rules:    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"      when: manual    - when: never  environment:    name: production    url: https://example.com

Job Templates

.test_template: &test_template  stage: test  before_script:    - npm ci  cache:    key: ${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}    paths:      - node_modules/
unit_tests:  <<: *test_template  script:    - npm run test:unit
integration_tests:  <<: *test_template  script:    - npm run test:integration  services:    - postgres:15

Security Scanning

include:  - template: Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml  - template: Security/Dependency-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml  - template: Security/Secret-Detection.gitlab-ci.yml  - template: Security/Container-Scanning.gitlab-ci.yml
sast:  stage: security
dependency_scanning:  stage: security
secret_detection:  stage: security

Multi-Environment Deployments

.deploy_template:  stage: deploy  script:    - ./deploy.sh $ENVIRONMENT  environment:    name: $ENVIRONMENT    url: https://$ENVIRONMENT.example.com
deploy:staging:  extends: .deploy_template  variables:    ENVIRONMENT: staging  rules:    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "develop"
deploy:production:  extends: .deploy_template  variables:    ENVIRONMENT: production  rules:    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"      when: manual

GitLab Flow

Branch Strategy

1. Main branch - Production-ready code
2. Feature branches - Named feature/description
3. Environment branches (optional) - staging, production

Workflow

1. Create feature branch from main
2. Develop and commit changes
3. Push and create merge request
4. Review, test, and iterate
5. Merge to main
6. Deploy automatically or manually

Issue and Project Management

Issue Templates

Create in .gitlab/issue_templates/:

Bug.md:

## DescriptionClear description of the bug.
## Steps to Reproduce1. Step one2. Step two
## Expected vs Actual Behavior- Expected:- Actual:
## Environment- Browser:- OS:- Version:
/label ~bug ~needs-triage

Feature.md:

## Problem StatementDescribe the problem this feature solves.
## Proposed SolutionDescribe your proposed solution.
## Acceptance Criteria- [ ] Criterion 1- [ ] Criterion 2
/label ~feature ~needs-refinement

Labels and Boards

Organize with labels:

• Type: ~bug, ~feature, ~documentation
• Priority: ~priority::high, ~priority::medium, ~priority::low
• Status: ~workflow::ready, ~workflow::in-progress, ~workflow::review
• Team: ~team::backend, ~team::frontend

Milestones

• Use milestones for sprints or releases
• Track progress with burndown charts
• Close milestones when complete

Repository Settings

Protected Branches

Configure for main:

• Allowed to merge: Maintainers
• Allowed to push: No one
• Require approval
• Require pipeline success

Merge Request Settings

• Fast-forward merge or merge commit
• Squash commits option
• Delete source branch after merge
• Require all discussions resolved

Security Best Practices

CI/CD Variables

# Use protected and masked variablesvariables:  DEPLOY_TOKEN:    value: ""    description: "Deployment authentication token"

Configure in Settings > CI/CD > Variables:

• Protected: Only available in protected branches
• Masked: Hidden in job logs

Access Control

• Use groups for team permissions
• Follow least privilege principle
• Enable 2FA requirement
• Audit access regularly

Compliance

Enable compliance features:

• Merge request approvals
• Push rules
• Audit events
• Compliance frameworks

Auto DevOps

For quick setup, enable Auto DevOps:

include:  - template: Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml
variables:  AUTO_DEVOPS_PLATFORM_TARGET: ECS  POSTGRES_ENABLED: "true"

Features included:

• Auto Build
• Auto Test
• Auto Code Quality
• Auto SAST
• Auto Dependency Scanning
• Auto Container Scanning
• Auto Review Apps
• Auto Deploy