Github Action - LaTex Compiler to PDF

latex-compiler.yml

name: LaTex Compiler to PDF

on: 
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
    paths: 'docs/**'
  workflow_dispatch:

env:
  FILE_PATH: docs/
  FILE_NAME: resume
  RESULT_NAME: converted_resume

jobs:
  build_latex:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Get current date
        id: date
        run: |
          current_date=$(date +'%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
          echo "current execution date $current_date"
          echo "::set-output name=date::$(date '+%Y%m%d%H%M%S')"
    
      - name: Set up Git repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
        
      - name: Compile LaTeX document
        uses: xu-cheng/latex-action@v2
        with:
          root_file: ${{env.FILE_NAME}}.tex
          working_directory: ${{env.FILE_PATH}}
          compiler: xelatex
          
      - name: Upload artifact as workflow attachments
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
        with:
          name: result
          path: ${{env.FILE_PATH}}${{env.FILE_NAME}}.pdf
          
      - name: Create Release
        id: create_release
        uses: actions/create-release@v1
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.TOKEN}}
        with:
          tag_name: DOC-${{steps.date.outputs.date}}
          release_name: Release Doc ${{steps.date.outputs.date}}
          draft: false
          prerelease: false

      - name: Upload Release Asset
        id: upload-release-asset 
        uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{secrets.TOKEN}}
        with:
          upload_url: ${{steps.create_release.outputs.upload_url}} 
          asset_path: ${{env.FILE_PATH}}${{env.FILE_NAME}}.pdf
          asset_name: ${{env.RESULT_NAME}}.pdf
          asset_content_type: application/pdf

the following YML snippet, compile LaTex document (with xelatex compiler for this configuration) in PDF file.

The steps of the action are as follows:

• compilation of the file from tex to pdf
• attach the file initially to the workflow (optional step)
• create a new release and tag with today's date
• attach the file to the release.

the workflow is fully customizable to retrieve multiple files, change the compiler for the latex format or change file name and path.