CI: Fix Skipped Required Workflows (BLAST-WarpX#5889)

This implement AMReX's solution to handle skipped but required CI workflows properly, as in AMReX-Codes/amrex#4197.

This is necessary due to the limitation described in https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/collaborating-on-repositories-with-code-quality-features/troubleshooting-required-status-checks#handling-skipped-but-required-checks.

PR BLAST-WarpX#5469 implements an alternative solution based on a in-house script, but I figured it may be easier to implement the same solution as in AMReX for maintenance purposes.

The new preliminary jobs are named `Analyze / Check changes`. For example, they show up as `CUDA / Analyze / Check changes`, `macOS / Analyze / Check changes`, etc.

This will allow all TC members to merge PRs where required workflows are skipped (e.g., PRs that change only documentation files), instead of relying on the WarpX admin team only.

Author: EZoni

.github/workflows/check_changes.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: Check Changes
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    outputs:
+      has_non_docs_changes:
+        value: ${{ jobs.check.outputs.has_non_docs_changes }}
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    name: Check changes
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      has_non_docs_changes: ${{ steps.set-output.outputs.has_non_docs_changes }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        id: changes
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            non_docs:
+              - '!Docs/**'
+              - '!**.md'
+              - '!**.rst'
+          predicate-quantifier: 'every'
+      - id: set-output
+        run: |
+          echo "has_non_docs_changes=${{ steps.changes.outputs.non_docs }}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT

.github/workflows/clang_sanitizers.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-clangsanitizers
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   build_UB_sanitizer:
     name: Clang UB sanitizer
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CC: clang
       CXX: clang++
@@ -79,7 +82,8 @@ jobs:
   build_thread_sanitizer:
     name: Clang thread sanitizer
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CC: clang
       CXX: clang++

.github/workflows/clang_tidy.yml

@@ -5,23 +5,26 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-clangtidy
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   run_clang_tidy:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         dim: [1, 2, RZ, 3]
     name: clang-tidy-${{ matrix.dim }}D
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 250
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies

.github/workflows/cuda.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-cuda
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   build_nvcc:
     name: NVCC SP
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror"
       CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja
@@ -98,7 +101,8 @@ jobs:
   build_nvcc_gnumake:
     name: NVCC GNU Make
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies
@@ -132,7 +136,8 @@ jobs:
   build_nvhpc:
     name: NVHPC
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     #env:
     #  # For NVHPC, Ninja is slower than the default:
     #  CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja

.github/workflows/hip.yml

@@ -5,22 +5,25 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-hip
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   build_hip_3d_sp:
     name: HIP 3D SP
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror -Wno-deprecated-declarations -Wno-error=pass-failed"
       CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies
@@ -74,7 +77,8 @@ jobs:
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror -Wno-deprecated-declarations -Wno-error=pass-failed"
       CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies

.github/workflows/insitu.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-insituvis
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   sensei:
     name: SENSEI
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXX: clang++
       CC: clang
@@ -43,7 +46,8 @@ jobs:
   ascent:
     name: Ascent
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXX: g++
       CC: gcc
@@ -83,7 +87,8 @@ jobs:
   catalyst:
     name: Catalyst
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXX: g++
       CC: gcc

.github/workflows/intel.yml

@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-intel
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   build_icpx:
     name: oneAPI ICX SP
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
@@ -24,7 +26,8 @@ jobs:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror -Wno-error=pass-failed -Wno-tautological-constant-compare"
     # For oneAPI, Ninja is slower than the default:
     #  CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies
@@ -89,7 +92,8 @@ jobs:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror -Wno-tautological-constant-compare"
     # For oneAPI, Ninja is slower than the default:
     #  CMAKE_GENERATOR: Ninja
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: install dependencies

.github/workflows/jupyter.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-jupyter
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   jupyter_notebooks:
     name: Notebooks
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: Set up Python

.github/workflows/macos.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-macos
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   build_appleclang:
     name: AppleClang
     runs-on: macos-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALLED_DEPENDENTS_CHECK: TRUE
       # For macOS, Ninja is slower than the default:

.github/workflows/petsc.yml

@@ -5,19 +5,22 @@ on:
     branches:
       - "development"
   pull_request:
-    paths-ignore:
-      - "Docs/**"
-      - "**.rst"
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.ref }}-${{ github.head_ref }}-petsc
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+
+  check_changes:
+    name: Analyze
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/check_changes.yml
+
   test-petsc-gcc:
     name: GCC
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror"
     steps:
@@ -72,7 +75,8 @@ jobs:
   test-petsc-mpich:
     name: GCC-12 + MPICH
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror"
     steps:
@@ -127,7 +131,8 @@ jobs:
   test-petsc-gcc-debug:
     name: GCC [Debug]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror"
     steps:
@@ -185,7 +190,8 @@ jobs:
   test-petsc-mpich-debug:
     name: GCC-12 + MPICH [Debug]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    needs: check_changes
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.draft == false && needs.check_changes.outputs.has_non_docs_changes == 'true' }}
     env:
       CXXFLAGS: "-Werror"
     steps: