GitLab 13.11 is now available! 🦞
Tags: gitlab, git, news, github
Published: 2021-05-14 17:22:21

---
title: GitLab 13.11 is now available! 🦞
published: true
date: 2021-04-29 23:15:00 UTC
tags: gitlab, git, news, github
canonical_url: https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/gitlab-13-11-is-now-available
cover_image: https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/images/gitlab-13-11-is-now-available.jpg
---

Last week, on April 22, **GitLab** [released their **13.11 version**](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/04/22/gitlab-13-11-released/), according to its monthly release, for April 2021.

Many features have been released in this new version, but some of them have caught my attention more than others. Let's check them out together! 🤲

## [Use multiple caches in the same job](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/04/22/gitlab-13-11-released/#use-multiple-caches-in-the-same-job)

![](https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/images/gitlab-13-11-use-multiple-caches-in-the-same-job.jpg)<figcaption>Screenshot of the feature <em>Use multiple caches in the same job</em> at GitLab.com.</figcaption>

For some projects, I exactly would have needed to have multiple caches, because sometimes, I have two `package-lock.json` files: one for the build process and one for the frontend dependencies.

So with this new feature, I should not need to update two caches anymore if one of them changes. I can't wait to see if this will have a positive impact on the duration of the pipeline. 😀

## [Optional DAG ('needs:') jobs in CI/CD pipelines](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/04/22/gitlab-13-11-released/#optional-dag-needs-jobs-in-cicd-pipelines)

![](https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/images/gitlab-13-11-optional-dag-needs-jobs-in-cicd-pipelines-1.jpg)<figcaption>Screenshot of the feature <em>Optional DAG ('needs:') jobs in CI/CD pipelines</em> at GitLab.com.</figcaption>

One of the reasons I did not use the `needs` keyword as much I would have liked was precisely because all jobs had to run, otherwise the pipelines would have failed. So we couldn't use the `needs` keyword and the `cache` keyword together.

With the the new `optional` keyword, this will no longer be the case! I cannot wait to try the new keyword in my pipelines! 😝

## [Search within a settings page](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/04/22/gitlab-13-11-released/#search-within-a-settings-page)

![](https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/images/gitlab-13-11-search-within-a-settings-page-1.jpg)<figcaption>Screenshot of the feature <em>Search within a settings page</em> at GitLab.com.</figcaption>

For newcomers or people who are not yet familiar with the repositories settings on GitLab, being able to search a specific keyword within the page will certainly be neat.

The search is currently only available on the current view, but once it is extended to all views, our instructions for properly setting up a repository will be much shorter! 🚀

## [Predefined CI/CD variable for commit author](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2021/04/22/gitlab-13-11-released/#predefined-cicd-variable-for-commit-author)

![](https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/images/gitlab-13-11-predefined-cicd-variable-for-commit-author-1.jpg)<figcaption>Screenshot of the feature <em>Predefined CI/CD variable for commit author</em> at GitLab.com.</figcaption>

A new predefined variable has been made available in GitLab CI with the information of the commit author and it is always good to keep track of them, as they can be useful for a job.

I have not checked its value yet, but as soon as I find out, I will update my personal post [_GitLab CI predefined variables_](https://www.benjaminrancourt.ca/gitlab-ci-predefined-variables) with an example for us! 😉