create-pull-request/README.md

# <img width="24" height="24" src="docs/assets/logo.svg"> Create Pull Request
[![CI](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/workflows/CI/badge.svg)](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/actions?query=workflow%3ACI)
[![GitHub Marketplace](https://img.shields.io/badge/Marketplace-Create%20Pull%20Request-blue.svg?colorA=24292e&colorB=0366d6&style=flat&longCache=true&logo=data:image/png;base64,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)](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/create-pull-request)

A GitHub action to create a pull request for changes to your repository in the actions workspace.

Changes to a repository in the Actions workspace persist between steps in a workflow.
This action is designed to be used in conjunction with other steps that modify or add files to your repository.
The changes will be automatically committed to a new branch and a pull request created.

Create Pull Request action will:

1. Check for repository changes in the Actions workspace. This includes:
   - untracked (new) files
   - tracked (modified) files
   - commits made during the workflow that have not been pushed
2. Commit all changes to a new branch, or update an existing pull request branch.
3. Create a pull request to merge the new branch into the base&mdash;the branch checked out in the workflow.

## Documentation

- [Concepts, guidelines and advanced usage](docs/concepts-guidelines.md)
- [Examples](docs/examples.md)
- [Updating to v3](docs/updating.md)

## Usage

```yml
      - name: Create Pull Request
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
```

You can also pin to a [specific release](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/releases) version in the format `@v3.x.x`

### Action inputs

All inputs are **optional**. If not set, sensible defaults will be used.

**Note**: If you want pull requests created by this action to trigger an `on: push` or `on: pull_request` workflow then you cannot use the default `GITHUB_TOKEN`. See the [documentation here](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/blob/master/docs/concepts-guidelines.md#triggering-further-workflow-runs) for workarounds.

| Name | Description | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `token` | `GITHUB_TOKEN` or a `repo` scoped [Personal Access Token (PAT)](https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/creating-a-personal-access-token-for-the-command-line). | `GITHUB_TOKEN` |
| `path` | Relative path under `GITHUB_WORKSPACE` to the repository. | `GITHUB_WORKSPACE` |
| `commit-message` | The message to use when committing changes. | `[create-pull-request] automated change` |
| `committer` | The committer name and email address in the format `Display Name <email@address.com>`. | Defaults to the GitHub Actions bot user if an identity is not found in git config. See [Committer and author](#committer-and-author) for details. |
| `author` | The author name and email address in the format `Display Name <email@address.com>`. | Defaults to the GitHub Actions bot user if an identity is not found in git config. See [Committer and author](#committer-and-author) for details. |
| `branch` | The pull request branch name. | `create-pull-request/patch` |
| `base` | Sets the pull request base branch. | Defaults to the branch checked out in the workflow. |
| `push-to-fork` | A fork of the checked out parent repository to which the pull request branch will be pushed. e.g. `owner/repo-fork`. The pull request will be created to merge the fork's branch into the parent's base. See [push pull request branches to a fork](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/blob/master/docs/concepts-guidelines.md#push-pull-request-branches-to-a-fork) for details. | |
| `title` | The title of the pull request. | `Changes by create-pull-request action` |
| `body` | The body of the pull request. | `Automated changes by [create-pull-request](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request) GitHub action` |
| `labels` | A comma or newline separated list of labels. | |
| `assignees` | A comma or newline separated list of assignees (GitHub usernames). | |
| `reviewers` | A comma or newline separated list of reviewers (GitHub usernames) to request a review from. | |
| `team-reviewers` | A comma or newline separated list of GitHub teams to request a review from. Note that a `repo` scoped [PAT](https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/creating-a-personal-access-token-for-the-command-line) may be required. See [this issue](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request/issues/155). | |
| `milestone` | The number of the milestone to associate this pull request with. | |
| `draft` | Create a [draft pull request](https://help.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/about-pull-requests#draft-pull-requests). | `false` |

### Action outputs

The pull request number is output as a step output.
Note that in order to read the step output the action step must have an id.

```yml
      - name: Create Pull Request
        id: cpr
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
      - name: Check outputs
        run: |
          echo "Pull Request Number - ${{ steps.cpr.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
```

### Checkout

This action expects repositories to be checked out with `actions/checkout@v2`.

If there is some reason you need to use `actions/checkout@v1` the following step can be added to checkout the branch.

```yml
      - uses: actions/checkout@v1
      - run: git checkout "${GITHUB_REF:11}"
```

### Action behaviour

The action creates a pull request that will be continually updated with new changes until it is merged or closed.
Changes are committed and pushed to a fixed-name branch, the name of which can be configured with the `branch` input.
Any subsequent changes will be committed to the *same* branch and reflected in the open pull request.

How the action behaves:

- If there are changes (i.e. a diff exists with the checked out base branch), the changes will be pushed to a new `branch` and a pull request created.
- If there are no changes (i.e. no diff exists with the checked out base branch), no pull request will be created and the action exits silently.
- If a pull request already exists and there are no further changes (i.e. no diff with the current pull request branch) then the action exits silently.
- If a pull request exists and new changes on the base branch make the pull request unnecessary (i.e. there is no longer a diff between the base and pull request branch), the pull request is automatically closed and the branch deleted.

For further details about how the action works and usage guidelines, see [Concepts, guidelines and advanced usage](docs/concepts-guidelines.md).

### Committer and author

If neither `committer` or `author` inputs are supplied the action will look for an existing identity in git config. If found, that identity will be used. If not found, the action will default to making commits by the GitHub Actions bot user.

The following configuration can be used to have commits authored by the user who triggered the workflow event.
```yml
      - name: Create Pull Request
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
        with:
          committer: GitHub <noreply@github.com>
          author: ${{ github.actor }} <${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com>
```

### Controlling commits

As well as relying on the action to handle uncommitted changes, you can additionally make your own commits before the action runs.

```yml
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Create commits
        run: |
          git config user.name 'Peter Evans'
          git config user.email 'peter-evans@users.noreply.github.com'
          date +%s > report.txt
          git commit -am "Modify tracked file during workflow"
          date +%s > new-report.txt
          git add -A
          git commit -m "Add untracked file during workflow"
      - name: Uncommitted change
        run: date +%s > report.txt
      - name: Create Pull Request
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
```

### Ignoring files

If there are files or directories you want to ignore you can simply add them to a `.gitignore` file at the root of your repository. The action will respect this file.

### Create a project card

To create a project card for the pull request, pass the `pull-request-number` step output to [create-or-update-project-card](https://github.com/peter-evans/create-or-update-project-card) action.

```yml
      - name: Create Pull Request
        id: cpr
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3

      - name: Create or Update Project Card
        uses: peter-evans/create-or-update-project-card@v1
        with:
          project-name: My project
          column-name: My column
          issue-number: ${{ steps.cpr.outputs.pull-request-number }}
```

## Reference Example

The following workflow is a reference example that sets all the main inputs.

See [examples](docs/examples.md) for more realistic use cases.

```yml
name: Create Pull Request
on: push
jobs:
  createPullRequest:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Make changes to pull request
        run: date +%s > report.txt

      - name: Create Pull Request
        id: cpr
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}
          commit-message: Update report
          committer: GitHub <noreply@github.com>
          author: ${{ github.actor }} <${{ github.actor }}@users.noreply.github.com>
          branch: example-patches
          title: '[Example] Update report'
          body: |
            Update report
            - Updated with *today's* date
            - Auto-generated by [create-pull-request][1]

            [1]: https://github.com/peter-evans/create-pull-request
          labels: |
            report
            automated pr
          assignees: peter-evans
          reviewers: peter-evans
          team-reviewers: |
            owners
            maintainers
          milestone: 1
          draft: false

      - name: Check output
        run: |
          echo "Pull Request Number - ${{ steps.cpr.outputs.pull-request-number }}"
```

An example based on the above reference configuration creates pull requests that look like this:

![Pull Request Example](docs/assets/pull-request-example.png)

## License

[MIT](LICENSE)