github-action-push-to-another-repository

Used to push generated files from a directory from Git Action step into another repository on Github. By design it deletes the files from the destination directory as it is meant to "publish" a set generated files.

E.g. Repository pandoc-test contains Markdown and a Git Action to generate, using Pandoc, an output: HTML, PDF, odt, epub, etc.

Repository pandoc-test-output: contains only the generated files from the first Git Action. Pushed here with github-action-push-to-another-repository

And pandoc-test-output can have Git Pages to give access to the files (or just links to the raw version of the files)

Inputs

source-directory (argument)

From the repository that this Git Action is executed the directory that contains the files to be pushed into the repository.

destination-github-username (argument)

For the repository https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-output is cpina. It's also used for the Author: in the generated git messages.

destination-repository-name (argument)

For the repository https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-output is push-to-another-repository-output

Warning: this Github Action currently deletes all the files and directories in the destination repository. The idea is to copy from an output directory into the destination-repository-name having a copy without any previous files there.

user-email (argument)

The email that will be used for the commit in the destination-repository-name.

destination-repository-username (argument) [optional]

The Username/Organization for the destination repository, if different from destination-github-username. For the repository https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-output is cpina.

target-branch (argument) [optional]

The branch name for the destination repository, if different from master.

commit-message (argument) [optional]

The commit message to be used in the output repository. Optional and defaults to "Update from $REPOSITORY_URL@commit".

The string ORIGIN_COMMIT is replaced by $REPOSITORY_URL@commit.

API_TOKEN_GITHUB (environment)

E.g.: API_TOKEN_GITHUB: ${{ secrets.API_TOKEN_GITHUB }}

Generate your personal token following the steps:

• Go to the Github Settings (on the right hand side on the profile picture)
• On the left hand side pane click on "Developer Settings"
• Click on "Personal Access Tokens" (also available at https://github.com/settings/tokens)
• Generate a new token, choose "Repo". Copy the token.

Then make the token available to the Github Action following the steps:

• Go to the Github page for the repository that you push from, click on "Settings"
• On the left hand side pane click on "Secrets"
• Click on "Add a new secret" and name it "API_TOKEN_GITHUB"

Example usage

      - name: Pushes to another repository
        uses: cpina/github-action-push-to-another-repository@master
        env:
          API_TOKEN_GITHUB: ${{ secrets.API_TOKEN_GITHUB }}
        with:
          source-directory: 'output'
          destination-github-username: 'cpina'
          destination-repository-name: 'pandoc-test-output'
          user-email: carles3@pina.cat

Working example:

https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-example/blob/master/.github/workflows/ci.yml

It generates files from: https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-example

To: https://github.com/cpina/push-to-another-repository-output