PR Not Created Because The Action Resets Source To Target

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Understanding the Issue

In this article, we will explore a common issue that occurs when trying to create a pull request (PR) using GitHub Actions. The problem arises when the action resets the source branch to the target branch, resulting in no differences between the two branches. This prevents the PR from being created.

Workflow Overview

Our workflow is triggered on pushes to the insights-update branch. The action should create a PR to merge the insights-update branch into the main branch. However, the PR is never created because the action seems to think that there are no changes between the two branches.

Step-by-Step Analysis

Let's analyze the steps involved in the workflow:

  1. Initial State: The HEAD is at insights-update.
  2. Create a new working branch: A new working branch is created at HEAD (insights-update).
  3. Switch back to insights-update: The working branch is switched back to insights-update, and the branch is reset to the origin/insights-update commit.
  4. Fetch main: The main branch is fetched.
  5. Switch to main: The HEAD is switched to main.
  6. Check commits from insights-update to working branch: No differences are found since the working branch is identical to insights-update.
  7. Reset working branch to HEAD (main): The working branch is reset to main.
  8. Fetch main again: The main branch is fetched again.
  9. Check commits from main to working branch: No differences are found since the working branch is currently identical to main.
  10. Fetch insights-update and switch to it: The insights-update branch is fetched and switched to.
  11. Check commits between main & insights-update: 4 commits are found on insights-update.
  12. Reset insights-update to working branch (main): The insights-update branch is reset to the working branch (main), making the source and target branches identical.
  13. Check right side commits between origin/insights-update and the new insights-update: No commits are found.
  14. Check left side commits between origin/insights-update and the new insights-update: 4 commits are found.
  15. Cleanup: The temporary branch is deleted, and the insights-update branch is checked out.
  16. Check if we should create the pull request: The branch no longer differs from the base branch (main).

The Problem

The problem arises at step 12, where the insights-update branch is reset to the working branch (main). This makes the source and target branches identical, resulting in no differences between the two branches. As a result, the PR is never created.

Solution

To solve this issue, we need to modify the workflow to avoid resetting the source branch to the target branch. One possible solution is to create a temporary branch that is not reset to the target branch. Here's an updated workflow:

name: Create Pull Request on Push to insights-update

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - insights-update # Trigger on pushes to the insights-update branch

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  create_pull_request:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/create-pull-request
      - name: Create Pull Request
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v7
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          title: '[automated] New insights data'
          body: 'Automated insights data update from push to insights-update.'
          branch: insights-update
          base: main
          sign-commits: true

      - name: Create temporary branch
        run: |
          git checkout -b temp-branch

      - name: Fetch insights-update
        run: |
          git fetch origin insights-update

      - name: Switch to insights-update
        run: |
          git checkout insights-update

      - name: Check commits between main & insights-update
        run: |
          git rev-list --right-only --count main...insights-update

      - name: Create PR
        uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v7
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          title: '[automated] New insights data'
          body: 'Automated insights data update from push to insights-update.'
          branch: insights-update
          base: main
          sign-commits: true

Q: What is the issue with creating a pull request (PR) using GitHub Actions?

A: The issue arises when the action resets the source branch to the target branch, resulting in no differences between the two branches. This prevents the PR from being created.

Q: What is the workflow involved in creating a PR using GitHub Actions?

A: The workflow involves the following steps:

  1. Initial State: The HEAD is at insights-update.
  2. Create a new working branch: A new working branch is created at HEAD (insights-update).
  3. Switch back to insights-update: The working branch is switched back to insights-update, and the branch is reset to the origin/insights-update commit.
  4. Fetch main: The main branch is fetched.
  5. Switch to main: The HEAD is switched to main.
  6. Check commits from insights-update to working branch: No differences are found since the working branch is identical to insights-update.
  7. Reset working branch to HEAD (main): The working branch is reset to main.
  8. Fetch main again: The main branch is fetched again.
  9. Check commits from main to working branch: No differences are found since the working branch is currently identical to main.
  10. Fetch insights-update and switch to it: The insights-update branch is fetched and switched to.
  11. Check commits between main & insights-update: 4 commits are found on insights-update.
  12. Reset insights-update to working branch (main): The insights-update branch is reset to the working branch (main), making the source and target branches identical.
  13. Check right side commits between origin/insights-update and the new insights-update: No commits are found.
  14. Check left side commits between origin/insights-update and the new insights-update: 4 commits are found.
  15. Cleanup: The temporary branch is deleted, and the insights-update branch is checked out.
  16. Check if we should create the pull request: The branch no longer differs from the base branch (main).

Q: What is the problem with resetting the source branch to the target branch?

A: The problem arises when the source branch is reset to the target branch, making the two branches identical. As a result, there are no differences between the two branches, and the PR is never created.

Q: How can we solve this issue?

A: To solve this issue, we need to modify the workflow to avoid resetting the source branch to the target branch. One possible solution is to create a temporary branch that is not reset to the target branch.

Q: What is the updated workflow to create a PR using GitHub Actions?

A: The updated workflow involves the following steps:

  1. Create temporary branch: A temporary branch is created.
  2. Fetch insights-update: The insights-update branch is fetched.
  3. Switch to insights-update: The insights-update branch is switched to.
  4. Check commits between main insights-update: The commits between main and insights-update are checked.
  5. Create PR: The PR is created.

Q: What are the benefits of using the updated workflow?

A: The benefits of using the updated workflow include:

  • The source branch is not reset to the target branch, ensuring that there are differences between the two branches.
  • The PR is created successfully, allowing for the merge of the insights-update branch into the main branch.

Q: Can we use the updated workflow for other branches as well?

A: Yes, the updated workflow can be used for other branches as well. Simply replace the insights-update branch with the desired branch name in the workflow.