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[workshop-sync] side-quest-05-03-two-file-structure.md: sample workflow and cron examples don't match documented gh-aw behavior

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Assessment

Difficulty
1/5
Estimated time
Under an hour
Newbie friendliness
88/100
Issue type
Documentation
Clarity
Clearly specified
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
github-actions, markdown, yaml
Domain
documentation

Research direction

Open workshop/side-quest-05-03-two-file-structure.md. In the 'Read a sample .md source file' section, add a safe-outputs block with create-issue to the frontmatter so it matches the digest task. In the 'What gh aw compile generates' section, replace the round cron '0 8 * * *' with a scattered value such as '37 8 * * *'. Done when both code samples match the gh-aw behavior the issue cites and the file renders correctly.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

documentation

Workshop file reviewed

workshop/side-quest-05-03-two-file-structure.md

Problem 1 — sample .md source is missing safe-outputs

The "Read a sample .md source file" section shows:

---
on:
  schedule: daily
permissions:
  issues: read
---

Review all open issues, summarize the key themes, and post a short digest as a new issue.

The task brief tells the agent to "post a short digest as a new issue," but the frontmatter has no safe-outputs: block (e.g. create-issue:). Per the gh-aw docs, agent jobs are read-only — all writes (including creating issues) must go through a declared safe-outputs: entry; permissions: issues: read alone cannot create an issue.

Reference: gh-aw reference example pairs the comment/create instruction with a safe-outputs: block, e.g.:

safe-outputs:
  create-issue:

Suggested fix: Add a safe-outputs: block to the sample frontmatter, e.g.:

---
on:
  schedule: daily
permissions:
  issues: read
safe-outputs:
  create-issue:
---

Review all open issues, summarize the key themes, and post a short digest as a new issue.

Problem 2 — generated .lock.yml cron example uses a round, non-scattered time

The "What gh aw compile generates" section shows:

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: "0 8 * * *"
  workflow_dispatch:

Per the gh-aw triggers reference: "The compiler converts fuzzy schedules to deterministic cron (e.g., daily on weekdays → 43 5 * * 1-5), scatters execution to avoid load spikes." A round value like 0 8 * * * contradicts this documented scattering behavior and could mislead learners about what gh aw compile actually produces.

Suggested fix: Use a scattered (non-round) example, e.g. cron: "37 8 * * *", consistent with how the compiler actually generates scattered cron values from schedule: daily.

Reference

  • gh-aw triggers reference, "Fuzzy Scheduling" section
  • gh-aw workflow-file-format guidance on safe-outputs routing for writes

Generated by 🔍 Workshop Sync Check · copilot · auto · 173.7 AIC · ⌖ 0.605 AIC · ⊞ 9.2K · ◷

  • expires on Oct 15, 2026, 4:57 AM UTC
Dominant language
JavaScript
Stars
53
Forks
35
Avg merge
13h 50m
Merged PRs (30d)
14

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