Option to update the PR text

[laeubi]

I just noticed that if a PR is created once and afterwards one adjust the description then on the next run the description stays as-is.

It would be good to have an option so that the action updates the PR text, this must be performed regardless of actual the PR is updated with new contents.

[peter-evans]

Hi @laeubi

Are you able to link a workflow run where this happened?

Unless I'm miss-remembering the conditions under which this happens, I'm fairly sure the action does try to update the PR body.

create-pull-request/src/github-helper.ts

Lines 114 to 128 in 49cf7e9

	// Update the pull request that exists for this branch and base
	core.info(`Fetching existing pull request`)
	const {data: pulls} = await this.octokit.rest.pulls.list({
	...this.parseRepository(baseRepository),
	state: 'open',
	head: headBranch,
	base: inputs.base
	})
	core.info(`Attempting update of pull request`)
	const {data: pull} = await this.octokit.rest.pulls.update({
	...this.parseRepository(baseRepository),
	pull_number: pulls[0].number,
	title: inputs.title,
	body: inputs.body
	})

[laeubi]

I need to check if I can find an example, in the past I just closed the PR (and then it is recreated with updated text).

[laeubi]

I tested it now again and it seems to work! Thank you!

[ThiagoPanini]

Hello @peter-evans! Is it possible to make this as an option for users who don't want the PR body to be updated or replaced?

Here's my scenario:

• I make some changes in a feature branch and the action creates a PR for me with a .md template body
• I update the PR body as long as I understand it needs more information, such as steps do be done or something else
• I continue to work on some changes in the feature branch while the PR is still open
• When I push new changes, the PR body gets replaced with the raw .md template and I lost my previous notes (also in the PR title)

So maybe it would be nice to check if a PR already exists and if so, the action skips the title and body replacement.

[peter-evans]

Hi @ThiagoPanini

I've deliberately not added options like that because it would never end. There would be dozens of extra inputs on the action for everyone's special use case. I try to keep the way it works to a simple strategy, that it should always try to update to match the configuration.

You can make what you describe work, but it just requires some extra steps in your workflow. You could fetch the body of an open PR in a step before this action runs and pass it into the body input.

Alternatively, you could make a comment immediately after opening the PR with a placeholder for your notes about what needs to be done.