Debugging AllSpice Workflows

AllSpice CI/CD Debugging FAQs

• Actions are only for organization repos
  Actions will not currently work on a personal repositories during this phase of the beta. You must use a repository owned by an organization.
• Try running the Actions quickstart

Use a Linter/Formatter

Software IDEs like Visual Studio have a tool called a linter. You can download different plugins that can check your code for errors, i.e. lint. We highly recommend using a coding IDE with a linter. The linter will help fix 95% of syntax errors, so you can focus on the scripting logic rather than whether your code is indented correctly.

If you need help deciding which IDE is best for you, please reach out to us at support@allspice.io.

Debugging strategies

Luckily, debugging software is easier than debugging hardware. Using a container helps isolate problems and keeps errors from spreading.
You can use a lot of the same strategies from hardware debugging for software.

• Find something that works and compare the differences
• Create test inputs and measure the outputs. Use text output or artifact files to generate debug reports
• Build up from something that does work. Add one thing at a time, or perform a "binary search" to see what is affecting the result.

Reduce the time it takes for the error to occur

Actions can take several minutes to run. If only one part is failing, create debug input data and only run the failing test.

Advanced Workflow Debugging

Use Debug Flags and Logs: Create and enable a debug mode for in-depth analysis of workflows and jobs.
Advanced Logging: Collect detailed logs and metrics for workflow runs, enabling deeper insights into job performance and issues.
Failure Mode Analysis: Automate detailed logging or capturing key data during failures to aid troubleshooting.

Artificial Intelligence can help spot errors

Tools such as Chat-GPT, Claude, VS Code Copilot can help you debug your scripts. Use plain language requests in a dialog format. Ask for recommended debugging steps. AI can help you discover things like syntax errors, or help you troubleshoot API connections. AI must always be reviewed by a human, but it is a great place to start or to help plug a knowledge hole.

Reach out to AllSpice Support

We'd love to help you become an Actions expert, so if you are confused or are struggling, don't hesitate to reach out support@allspice.io.