Include body parameter for release

[csexton]

Fixes #4

This adds the ability to include the body parameter when creating the release.

- name: Checkout code
  uses: actions/checkout@master
- name: Create Release
  id: create_release
  uses: actions/create-release@master
  with:
    tag_name: ${{ github.ref }}
    release_name: Release ${{ github.ref }}
    body: Release body

This also supports a multiline body:

- name: Create Release
  id: create_release
  uses: actions/create-release@master
  with:
    tag_name: ${{ github.ref }}
    release_name: Release ${{ github.ref }}
    body: |
      This is a multiline body
      with more than one
      line

Or if you want the contents of a file (or use a script to generate changelog):

- name: Read CHANGELOG
  id: changelog
  run: |
    echo "::set-output name=body::$(cat CHANGELOG.md)"
- name: Create Release
  id: create_release
  uses: actions/create-release@master
  with:
    release_name: Release ${{ github.ref }}
    body: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.body }}

One decision I made in favor of less code was to send an empty body when there was non present. If it would be preferred to send nothing in the request for the body attribute I could instead compose the parameters with an optional body attribute:

releaseParams = {
  owner,
  repo,
  tag_name: tag,
  name: releaseName,
  draft,
  prerelease
};

if (body) {
  releaseParams.body = body;
}

const createReleaseResponse = await github.repos.createRelease( releaseParams );

If this is preferred let me know and I can update the PR.

[eine]

Overall, I think that suggesting an approach such as the example below is ugly from a syntax point of view; and also sub-optimal, since a separate step is added to just define a parameter:

- name: Read CHANGELOG
  id: changelog
  run: |
    echo "::set-output name=body::$(cat CHANGELOG.md)

However, I find this example very useful in use cases where the content of CHANGELOG.md is generated dynamically. In such cases, using ::set-output name=body:: allows to avoid writing data to disk.

Therefore, I suggest to:

• Enhance this PR to also accept a filename as the body parameter, and add an example.
• Add some additional commands to the example above. E.g., extracting a list of commits from git.

If it would be preferred to send nothing in the request for the body attribute I could instead compose the parameters with an optional body attribute

I think it is preferred.

[eine]

I think that the body is expected to contain some description, not content.

Related to the comment about supporting a filename, this description might left as: Description of the release.

[csexton]

That copy was taken from the Create Release documentation from the API

Create Release Input

Name	Type	Description
body	string	Text describing the contents of the tag.

I felt consistency was important, but don't have strong feelings. @IAmHughes do you have a preference?

[eine]

I took as a reference that the placeholder when editing a release is 'Describe this release'. I think it is more accurate than 'Text describing the contents of the *'.

[eine]

As commented in #4 (comment), I think it'd be desirable to support providing a filename too:

body: ((body.slice(0,5) == 'file:') ? createReadStream(body.slice(6)) : body),

[csexton]

That is a clever feature, and I could see how it would be handy. But feels like it is out of the scope for this pull request. Mostly because the test coverage and error handling for this would be more involved.

Would you like to propose it as a follow up to these changes? I have a little concern about a magic string for the body, but will defer to @IAmHughes.

[eine]

I can open a PR against csexton:add-body (in your fork). When merged, this PR will be automatically updated.

Regarding the magic string, it's only a placeholder. I think it'd be better to use something like body: !my_filename.md, so that quotes are not required.

[walfie]

I'm personally not a fan of a magic string prefix either, since it makes assumptions about the actual content of the body.

If anything, I'd prefer having a separate param like body_from_file (or whatever) and having it error if both are present, however I also feel like it could be handled as a separate PR.

[eine]

I'd add another example with e.g. body: changelog.md or body: "file: changelog.md" (depending on how it is implemented).

[youhide]

.... we need this!

[swinton]

Looks good to me, thanks for the PR. I can see the benefit of including the option of passing in a body parameter. This body could also feasibly be dynamically generated via an upstream action, and then exposed as an output of that action / consumed as an input by create-release 👍

[mancej]

OK so, "technically" this solution works except set-output doesn't support multi-line variables which more or less defeats the entire purpose,

So here is an ACTUAL solution with a multi-line CHANGELOG that can be passed as a variable for anyone beating their head against the wall like I have been.

The trick being, you have to escape all new line characters and carriage returns before passing them into set-output.

    - name: Prep Release
      id: prep
      run: |
        cd cli
        # Parse version
        VERSION=$(./scripts/get_version.sh)
        echo "Setting release version to $VERSION"
        echo "::set-env name=RELEASE_VERSION::$VERSION"

        # Parse changelog
        CHANGELOG=$(./scripts/parse_changelog.sh)
        CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//'%'/'%25'}"
        CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//$'\n'/'%0A'}"
        CHANGELOG="${CHANGELOG//$'\r'/'%0D'}"

        echo "Got changelog: $CHANGELOG"
        echo "::set-output name=changelog::$CHANGELOG"

    - name: Create Release
      id: create_release
      uses: actions/create-release@master
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      with:
        tag_name: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
        release_name: Release ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
        body: ${{ steps.prep.outputs.changelog }}
        draft: false
        prerelease: true