Support new branch creation by default

[drewwells]

Describe the bug
I'm committing code to a new branch in a remote repo. The local repo has a new branch and the remote one does not yet have this branch.

Workflow used
remote> git branch newbranch
remote> git add .
remote> git commit -am {commit message}

Expected behavior
The line > Switching/creating branch... would create the branch.

Logs
Either provide a link to the action run or (if your repo is private) paste here the logs from the step that uses it. If you paste the logs, please use this template, and remember to paste the logs from all the different sections.

Logs

Internal logs
  > Staging files...
  > Adding files...
  > No files to remove.
  > Checking for uncommitted changes in the git working tree...
  > Found 8 changed files.
  { raw: '', remote: null, branches: [], tags: [] }
  > Switching/creating branch...
  Error: Error: error: pathspec 'aff' did not match any file(s) known to git

Pulling from remote...

{ raw: '', remote: null, branches: [], tags: [] }

Error: Error: There is no tracking information for the current branch.

Please specify which branch you want to merge with.

See git-pull(1) for details.

  git pull <remote> <branch>

If you wish to set tracking information for this branch you can do so with:
  git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branch> aff

Outputs

Error: Error: There is no tracking information for the current branch.

[EndBug]

Please add an actual link or copy of the workflow file you used as you did for the logs. The workflow file is the one located in the .github/workflows directory.

[drewwells]

Something removed since it's a private repo, but this should have all the information important for add-and-commit

name: Generate
on:
  pull_request:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
jobs:
  generate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        lang:
          - go
          - python
    env:
      GEN_LANG_DIR: gen/${{ matrix.lang }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - if: matrix.lang == 'go'
        run: make buf=buf clients
      - if: matrix.lang != 'go'
        run: buf generate
      - name: diff generated code
        if: always()
        working-directory: ${{ env.GEN_LANG_DIR }}
        run: |
          git add -N .
          git diff --stat
      - name: commit generated code
        if: github.repository == env.upstream && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
        uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@v7
        with:
          branch: main
          message: ${{ github.event.head_commit.message }}
          add: .
          cwd: ${{ env.GEN_LANG_DIR }}

[EndBug]

You're running the step with my action only if github.ref == refs/heads/main, and the workflow runs when something is pushed to the main branch. That implies that the main branch exists on the remote, which is the opposite of what you wrote in your question.
Also, your error log mentions 'aff' but that doesn't appear anywhere in your workflow.

I understand that you can't post everything because it's a private repo, but if I don't have an equivalent version of it I cannot help you.

[drewwells]

I removed the main ref requirement. “aff” is the name of the branch. The workaround for the error was to create branches manually in the target repos.  The typescript command “git branch “ should create a branch if it doesn’t exist. Is this tool shelling out to git or is this doing something different than cli would do?

On October 21, 2021, Anthony Sottile ***@***.***> wrote: You're running the step with my action only if github.ref == refs/heads/main, and the workflow runs when something is pushed to the main branch. That implies that the main branch exists on the remote, which is the opposite of what you wrote in your question.  Also, your error log mentions 'aff' but that doesn't appear anywhere in your workflow. I understand that you can't post everything because it's a private repo, but if I don't have an equivalent version of it I cannot help you.

— You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#313 (comment)- 949402905>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe- auth/AAB2MEYIVTR7NKGQXYQNBMTUIEN7JANCNFSM5GPASMJA>.

[EndBug]

I think I know how to solve your issue. Please mind this is a huge workaround, since this is kind of an edge case compared to the scope of this project.

Anyway, I would do the following:

• Avoid pulling from the repo
• Push while setting an upstream branch

- uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@v7
   with:
     branch: BRANCH_NAME
     pull: NO-PULL
     push: --set-upstream origin BRANCH_NAME

Try using these options (along with the ones you were already using) and see if that works. Also, keep in mind there could be conflicts since you're using a matrix.
Let me know.

[drewwells]

Matrix is pushing to different repos. Creating a branch in the remote repo is an edge case?

[EndBug]

Maybe you're right, I should make this the default since we're supporting local branch creation by default...

[drewwells]

workaround worked great, thanks. Since we're going to be updating remote branches, I also need the --force flag. Here's a full example for future people.

      - name: commit generated code
        if: github.repository == env.upstream
        uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@v7
        with:
          branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}
          # TBD: PRs may have an empty message
          message: ${{ github.event.head_commit.message }}
          add: .
          pull: NO-PULL
          push: --force --set-upstream origin  ${{ github.head_ref }}