Add GitHub Actions workflow for automated branch protection and CI/CD

[Copilot]

This PR implements a comprehensive GitHub Actions workflow to automate branch protection checks and enforce code quality standards for the repository.

Overview

The new workflow (.github/workflows/branch-protection.yml) provides automated CI/CD pipeline that runs on all pull requests targeting the main branch, ensuring code quality, security, and functionality before merging.

Workflow Features

Four Parallel Jobs:

1. Code Linting - Ensures consistent code style and best practices

   • ESLint for JavaScript files with modern ES2022 configuration
   • Solhint for Solidity contracts with security-focused rules
   • Automatically creates configuration files if missing

2. Unit Testing - Validates code functionality and repository structure

   • Mocha test framework with Chai assertions
   • Tests for deployment script validity and repository integrity
   • Auto-generates basic test structure if no tests exist

3. Security Scanning - Identifies potential security vulnerabilities

   • npm audit for dependency vulnerabilities
   • Pattern-based secret detection to prevent credential leaks
   • Comprehensive security reporting

4. Build Verification - Ensures project can be compiled successfully

   • Smart contract compilation using Hardhat
   • Deployment script syntax validation
   • Compatibility checks with Node.js 22

Infrastructure Added

• Test Suite: 7 comprehensive tests covering repository structure and deployment scripts
• Linting Configurations:
  • eslint.config.js - Modern ESLint configuration with ES modules support
  • .solhint.json - Solidity best practices and security rules
• Package Scripts: Updated package.json with test, lint, lint:sol, and compile commands
• Documentation:
  • docs/BRANCH_PROTECTION.md - Complete workflow documentation
  • Updated README.md with development workflow section

Branch Protection Enforcement

The workflow implements the following protection measures:

✅ Required Status Checks: All four jobs must pass before merging
✅ Automated Testing: Unit tests and integration checks
✅ Code Quality: Linting and style enforcement
✅ Security: Vulnerability scanning and secret detection
✅ Build Validation: Compilation and syntax verification

Repository Admin Configuration

To complete the branch protection setup, repository administrators should configure these settings in Settings > Branches:

1. Add a branch protection rule for main
2. Enable "Require status checks to pass before merging"
3. Select all four status checks: lint, test, security, build
4. Enable "Require review from code owners"
5. Configure "Restrict who can push to matching branches" for authorized users

Local Development

Developers can run the same checks locally:

npm test          # Run unit tests
npm run lint      # JavaScript linting
npm run lint:sol  # Solidity linting  
npm run compile   # Contract compilation

Benefits

• Automated Quality Control: Consistent code standards across all contributions
• Early Issue Detection: Catches bugs, security issues, and style problems before merge
• Developer Guidance: Clear error messages and actionable feedback
• Repository Protection: Prevents problematic changes from reaching main branch
• Comprehensive Coverage: Tests, linting, security, and build verification in one workflow

The workflow is designed to be helpful rather than obstructive, providing detailed feedback and automatically handling common configuration scenarios. All components are working correctly with the current codebase (7/7 tests passing, clean JavaScript linting, Solidity analysis complete).

This pull request was created as a result of the following prompt from Copilot chat.

Create a GitHub Actions workflow to automate branch protection checks for the repository. This workflow should enforce the following rules:

1. Ensure that all pull requests targeting the main branch pass required status checks before merging. These status checks should include unit tests and a linter.
2. Require at least one approved code review before the pull request can be merged.
3. Restrict merging to authorized users (e.g., repository admins).

The workflow should be defined in a YAML file located at .github/workflows/branch-protection.yml. It should include the following triggers:

• Trigger on pull_request events targeting the main branch.
• Automatically run unit tests and linting checks as part of the CI process.

If the checks fail, the workflow should provide detailed error messages to help developers fix the issues. Additionally, include comments in the YAML file to explain each step of the workflow.

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[sonnyquinn24]

@copilot