Repository names with dashes cannot be requested

[arhadthedev]

I need to get some statistics from a repository which name contains dashes (https://github.com/python/core-workflow):

{
  repository(name: "core-workflow", owner: "python") {
    object(expression: "main") {
      ... on Commit {
        history(author: {emails: "oleg@arhadthedev.net"}) {
          totalCount
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

However, it cannot be requested:

{
  "data": {
    "repository": {
      "object": null
    }
  }
}

Other, dashless repositories from the same organization work great:

{
  repository(name: "cpython", owner: "python") {
    object(expression: "main") {
      ... on Commit {
        history(author: {emails: "oleg@arhadthedev.net"}) {
          totalCount
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "data": {
    "repository": {
      "object": {
        "history": {
          "totalCount": 39
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

From gh-479 I know that no object key can contain a dash. Nonetheless, repositories with dashes in their names are totally legit so there should be a way to address them in queries.

[rivantsov]

why is this issue posted here? yes, this repo name contains dash, GitHub GraphQL API has problems with it, but what we can do about it? rename the repo?!

[arhadthedev]

but what we can do about it? rename the repo?!

Sure, not. However, denying repositories that are valid for the rest of the whole GitHub makes GraphQL-based tools unusable for such repositories.

Here's an example from Trending Repositories to demonstrate that dashed names is not a feature of some student labs needed by no-one. Dashed repo names are highlighted:

• toeverything / AFFiNE
• utmapp / UTM
• NVIDIAGameWorks / kaolin-wisp
• microsoft / terminal
• jina-ai / discoart
• martinshkreli / models
• facebookresearch / ParlAI
• KalleHallden / exer_log
• juliocesarfort / public-pentesting-reports
• EbookFoundation / free-programming-books
• moyix / fauxpilot
• josejesusguzman / acordeon-az500-innoovaccion
• adiwajshing / Baileys
• qmk / qmk_firmware
• valinet / ExplorerPatcher
• PKUFlyingPig / cs-self-learning
• lucidrains / imagen-pytorch
• Womsxd / AutoMihoyoBBS
• getify / You-Dont-Know-JS
• coolsnowwolf / lede
• google-research / multinerf
• termux / termux-app
• godotengine / godot
• rust-lang / rust-analyzer
• ventoy / Ventoy

[rivantsov]

sorry, I think you have an impression that people here (around this repo) are actually in charge of Github's GraphQL API? that's not the case; you should connect to Github support team.

[arhadthedev]

sorry, I think you have an impression that people here (around this repo) are actually in charge of Github's GraphQL API

My sincere excuses then. The README's line This is a Working Draft of the Specification for GraphQL gave me an impression that this repo is where GraphQL sponsors define how the world should work; something like https://github.com/w3c for the Web and https://github.com/tc39 for JavaScript aka ECMAScript.

you should connect to Github support team.

It was unintuitive so thank you for the relevant contact.

[benjie]

@arhadthedev By the looks of your query result the repository was found because it’s non-null; the object is null - perhaps it uses an alternative main branch name such as “trunk” or “master”? I hope this helps.

[brasic]

@arhadthedev you want object(expression: "HEAD") to select the default branch, the repo you linked to has no ref called main.

[arhadthedev]

My apologises for misidentifying the problem. The repo is the only one in my list which master branch was not renamed so I didn't notice it and came googling for the error message instead.

@brasic Thank you for a name-agnostic solution.