Github Action add "needs" with separate workflow file

Question

I have got two workflows:

• workflow1.yaml
• workflow2.yaml

I need in workflow2.yaml add something like:

jobs:
  build_kotlin:
    runs-on: [server1, server2, server3]
    needs: [workflow1]
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

Currently "needs" doesn't work properly. How can reference separate workflow yaml file?

Answer 1

needs is only used to establish relationships between jobs -- not entire workflows.

If you want to run "workflow2.yaml" after "workflow1.yaml" has been completed, then add a trigger like so:

on:
  workflow_run:
    workflows: [workflow1]
    types:
      - completed

jobs:
  build_kotlin
    # ...

Read more on Events That Trigger Workflows

Alternatively, you could make workflow1 a reusable workflow and then make sure it is executed before workflow2 like so:

jobs:
  workflow1:
    uses: octo-org/example-repo/.github/workflows/workflow1.yaml@main

  build_kotlin:
    runs-on: [server1, server2, server3]
    needs: [workflow1]
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2