Run the action from a different directory

[xavierfoucrier]

Hi,

I am trying to use this Github Actions to push a VuePress website from a source branch to a master branch. The website is generated using a regular npm run build script and the build outputs to ./docs/.vuepress/dist.

./ here is the root of my repo.

I would like to only push files inside of this directory to the master, not the whole path.

The problem is that currently the action is running git add from the root folder, instead of running it from .docs/.vuepress/dist... resulting in having the full path pushed to the master branch.

As for now Github Actions working-directory can't be used in addition with the uses command, it would be nice to have a directory option to tell the action where to run the git add command.

Here is my worflow:

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      (...)
      - name: Commit changes
        uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@master
        with:
          branch: "master"
          add: "docs/.vuepress/dist --force"
          message: "Deploy docs"

Here is a workflow we could have:

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      (...)
      - name: Commit changes
        uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@master
        with:
          branch: "master"
          directory: "docs/.vuepress/dist" <--- the action will run "cd [directory]" command before running
          add: ". --force"
          message: "Deploy docs"

You can have a look at the current VuePress deploy script here: https://vuepress.vuejs.org/guide/deploy.html#github-pages

Thanks for your feedback! :wink:

[EndBug]

I'm not sure if I understand this correctly: what's the difference between adding docs/.vuepress/dist and adding . from that path? Anyway, have you tried using the cwd option?

[xavierfoucrier]

Hi @EndBug,

Thanks for the fast reply :wink:

The problem is that when running the action at the repository root will lead the git add command to push the whole docs/.vuepress/dist path to the repository root.

Here you can see what I mean: https://github.com/mojs/mojs.github.io/tree/2077e38b39b6ea845d8b94eadbbd06144c7a135d

• there is a docs/.vuepress/dist at root (which is wrong)
• only files+folders inside docs/.vuepress/dist should be at root (not the whole directory path)

So my repository master branch should finally look like this:

• api/
• assets/
• tools/
• tutorials/
• 404.html
• README.md
• index.html
• logo.png

I have read the whole docs, but may be I am missing something...

Does the cwd option change the working directory where the Github Actions run? If yes, this is exactly what I am searching for.

Let me know :smiley:

[EndBug]

Ooooooh, ok sorry, now I get it. I think it would be easier if you moved the files before running my action: you can use something like cp -r docs/.vuepress/dist/. . && rm -r docs

Your workflow would look like this:

steps:
  (...)
  - run: 'cp -r bla bla bla'
  - uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@v5
  (...)

[EndBug]

This way you're running the action when your directory has already the right structure

[xavierfoucrier]

@EndBug Haaaaaa... sounds like a good idea too, I will try that and let you know :smiley: , thx!

[xavierfoucrier]

@EndBug hum.. well, the problem is that using rm -r docs won't be sufficient because I have other files/folders in the root directory :smile: :thinking: , like node_modules. So I have to manage a "static" list of directory here, not appropriate from my point of view.

In addition a step can't run both run and uses keywords, see https://github.com/mojs/mojs.github.io/actions/runs/335569327. But I understand that I have to run two "steps" separately for your solution, but it won't work.

[EndBug]

Well you should have a .gitignore that prevents the unwanted directories from being added: you have to think about how you would add those files if you were just using git from the terminal, the action is only supposed to "Add and Commit" If you set up your project and scripts like you would normally do with git, you'll have no problem using the action.

(I know they can't be used both in the same, I've written the example using two different ones...)

[xavierfoucrier]

Good point, but the problem is that I need to run the add action's option with --force because the docs/.vuepress/dist folder is ignored in the source branch, as it is made to contain "build" stuff and shouldn't be versioned... making node_modules folder pushed when using --force, which is part of the problem.

That's why the VuePress documentation state to "navigate" into the dist build folder.

[EndBug]

The Vue docs say to navigate to that directory only because they're creating a new repo and then pushing to a custom URL, which my action doesn't currently support.

This are your options:

• You can use some git commands to create a new repo and push to a custom URL, but at that point it's just easier for you to commit directly by running a couple of commands, instead of using the action. If you wanted to use it anyway, you'd need to use the cwd option to make it run on that repo.
• You can generate your dist, copy over the files, and then use my action to commit everything
• You can use gh-pages (which is what I would do), to directly publish the dist folder to your branch (you can edit the name of the branch it uses)

In any of these three ways, there are no changes needed for the action.

[xavierfoucrier]

Fine, I will choose the more appropriate option. Thanks for the fast answers/support anyway!

I am closing the issue :wink:

[EndBug]

Happy to help!