Run github actions if branch has updated files from a specific directory

Question

File structure:

apps
-- app-1
-- app-2
libs
-- lib-1
-- lib-2

We have tests that should run only in case if files were changed in lib-2. I have tried to do

on:
  push:
    paths:
      - 'libs/lib-2/**'

But it runs tests only when files from lib-2 were pushed in a commit but not running if some others were pushed after that. Imagine tests are failed for lib-2, then developer have submitted files from lib-1 in the next commit and tests just wouldn't run for previous changes and github will consider checks as a success.

Is there a way to run actions if files from a certain directory were changed in a branch no matter in what commit?

Answer 1

I have designed a solution thanks to @guifalourd.

name: 'UI-kit Tests'
on:
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - proto
      - develop
      - staging
      - master
jobs:
  filter-ui-kit:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    name: Filter Ui kit
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0

      - name: Get changed files in the docs folder
        id: changed-files-specific
        uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v34
        with:
          files: libs/ui-kit/**

      - name: Run step if any file(s) in the docs folder change
        if: steps.changed-files-specific.outputs.any_changed == 'true'
        run: echo UI-kit is affected

      - name: Prevent from running
        if: steps.changed-files-specific.outputs.any_changed != 'true'
        run: exit 1
  test:
    timeout-minutes: 60
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: [filter-ui-kit]
    steps:
      ... test actions goes there