Introduction

In our latest stride towards enhancing Convox's CI/CD offerings, we're excited to introduce an update that enriches the developer experience: CLI-triggered Workflows. This new feature, built on the solid foundation of Convox Workflows, adds a convenient command-line interface (CLI) option for initiating and managing workflows. It's designed to give you more flexibility and control over your deployment processes, making automation smoother and more accessible.

CLI-Triggered Workflows: What's New?

While Convox Workflows have enhanced how development teams streamline their CI/CD pipelines, the introduction of CLI-triggered options ushers in an era of enhanced flexibility and control. Now, users have the capability to kick off workflows directly from the CLI, adapting effortlessly to the nuances of dynamic development practices and intricate deployment scenarios.

Key Enhancements

• Direct Workflow Execution: Trigger Review and Deployment workflows with precise control over branches, commits, and more—all from the CLI.
• Enhanced Automation Capabilities: Integrate workflow triggers into scripts or other automation tools, enabling sophisticated CI/CD pipelines.
• Immediate Feedback: Receive instant CLI feedback on the initiation and status of workflow jobs, streamlining the development process.

Getting Started with CLI-Triggered Workflows

To harness the power of CLI-triggered Workflows, Convox users simply need to update their CLI to the latest version with the command convox update. Here's a quick guide on initiating a workflow:

Listing Workflows

First, list all available workflows within your organization:

convox workflows

This command will display all workflows by ID, Kind, and Name, helping you identify the correct workflow to trigger.

Triggering a Workflow

To trigger a workflow run for a specific branch or commit, use the following syntax:

convox workflows run <workflow-id> --branch <branch-name> --title "Deployment Title"

For example:

convox workflows run 55dd9440-eb98-4d9b-816f-99230077feff --branch feat-branch --title "Feature Deployment"

This command initiates the specified workflow, providing immediate feedback on the job initiation.

Real-World Applications and Benefits

CLI-triggered Workflows are especially beneficial in scenarios requiring quick iterations or precise control over deployment conditions. For instance, in response to critical feedback, developers can rapidly deploy a hotfix by triggering the corresponding workflow from the CLI, bypassing the need for manual intervention in the Console.

Furthermore, the initial use case that inspired this feature—optimizing interactions with Dependabot—highlights its utility in managing automated PRs efficiently. By selectively triggering workflows for critical or major updates, teams can maintain a smooth CI/CD pipeline without the delays previously encountered.

Conclusion

The introduction of CLI-triggered Workflows marks a significant enhancement in Convox's CI/CD offerings, providing development teams with unmatched flexibility and control over their deployment processes. By integrating these workflows into your development practices, you can achieve more streamlined, efficient, and responsive CI/CD pipelines, ready to tackle the dynamic needs of modern software development.