Generated change log is "no changes" when only providing current commit hash as "toTag"

[smith-it]

Generated change log is "no changes" when only providing current commit hash as "toTag"

[mikepenz]

For the second part of your comment. If you look into the log it notes: Wrote 254 non categorized pull requests down Which indicates that while it found those PRs, the did not have labels attached which are used to categorize.

The default categories it would use are:

"categories": [
      {
        "title": "## 🚀 Features",
        "labels": ["feature"]
      },
      {
        "title": "## 🐛 Fixes",
        "labels": ["fix"]
      },
      {
        "title": "## 🧪 Tests",
        "labels": ["test"]
      }
    ]

and the default template is only the CATEGORIZED PRs:

https://github.com/mikepenz/release-changelog-builder-action/blob/develop/src/configuration.ts#L52

And yes please, I think it will be better to open a new issue to track this

[smith-it]

Forgot to include I updated the configuration to the following:

{
    "for_more_info_on_this_file": "https://github.com/mikepenz/release-changelog-builder-action/blob/develop/src/configuration.ts",
    "categories": [
      {
        "title": "## 🚀 Features",
        "labels": ["feature"]
      },
      {
        "title": "## 🐛 Fixes",
        "labels": ["fix"]
      },
      {
        "title": "## 🧪 Tests",
        "labels": ["test"]
      }
    ],
    "sort": "ASC",
    "template": "${{CHANGELOG}}\n\n<details>\n<summary>Uncategorized</summary>\n\n${{UNCATEGORIZED}}\n</details>",
    "pr_template": "- ${{TITLE}}\n   - PR: #${{NUMBER}}",
    "empty_template": "- no changes",
    "max_tags_to_fetch": 200,
    "max_pull_requests": 200,
    "max_back_track_time_days": 365
}

Edit: I just realized I copy/pasted the original build log before I included the config file to adjust the change log template. Will post a new version shortly.

[mikepenz]

The original build log would indicate that no config was used: ℹ️ Configuration not provided. Using Defaults.

[smith-it]

Updated build log:

Run mikepenz/[email protected]
  with:
    ignorePreReleases: false
    failOnError: false
    commitMode: false
  env:
    AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: us-east-1
    AWS_REGION: us-east-1
    AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ***
    AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ***
    GITHUB_TOKEN: ***
    configuration: ./.github/config/changelog-config.json
    toTag: c7930038e1bca14f6f55824f3a93c81741cf1395

::set-output name=failed::false
##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.failed='false'
::group::📘 Reading input values
📘 Reading input values
  ##[debug]GITHUB_WORKSPACE = '/home/runner/work/*redacted repo*/*redacted repo*'
  ##[debug]repositoryPath = '/home/runner/work/*redacted repo*/*redacted repo*'
  ℹ️ Configuration not provided. Using Defaults.
  
  ::set-output name=owner::*redacted org*
  ##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.owner='*redacted org*'
  ##[debug]Resolved 'owner' as *redacted org*
  
  ::set-output name=repo::*redacted repo*
  ##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.repo='*redacted repo*'
  ##[debug]Resolved 'repo' as *redacted repo*
  ::endgroup::
::group::🔖 Resolve tags
🔖 Resolve tags
  (node:1909) [DEP0005] DeprecationWarning: Buffer() is deprecated due to security and usability issues. Please use the Buffer.alloc(), Buffer.allocUnsafe(), or Buffer.from() methods instead.
  ℹ️ Found 1 (fetching max: 200) tags from the GitHub API for *redacted org*/*redacted repo*
  /usr/bin/git rev-list --tags --skip=0 --max-count=1
  b9eb482497e5af4d5ae10c8afeaa7fe604d69189
  /usr/bin/git describe --abbrev=0 --tags b9eb482497e5af4d5ae10c8afeaa7fe604d69189
  1.0.0
  🔖 Resolved current tag (1.0.0) from 'git rev-list --tags --skip=0 --max-count=1'
  ##[debug]fromTag undefined, trying to resolve via API
  ℹ️ Only one tag found for the given repository. Usually this is the case for the initial release.
  /usr/bin/git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD
  6b2296152fbd03928af594288c5fd5f85fb73fc3
  🔖 Resolved initial commit (6b2296152fbd03928af594288c5fd5f85fb73fc3) from 'git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD'
  🔖 Resolved previous tag (6b2296152fbd03928af594288c5fd5f85fb73fc3) from the tags git API
  
  ::set-output name=toTag::1.0.0
  ##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.toTag='1.0.0'
  ##[debug]Resolved 'toTag' as 1.0.0
  ##[debug]fromTag resolved via previousTag as: 6b2296152fbd03928af594288c5fd5f85fb73fc3
  ::endgroup::
::group::🚀 Load pull requests
🚀 Load pull requests
  ℹ️ Comparing *redacted org*/*redacted repo* - '6b2296152fbd03928af594288c5fd5f85fb73fc3...1.0.0'
  ℹ️ Found 1371 commits from the GitHub API for *redacted org*/*redacted repo*
  ⚠️ Adjusted 'fromDate' to go max 365 back
  ℹ️ Fetching PRs between dates 2020-11-15T15:01:15.000Z to 2021-11-15T15:01:15.000Z for *redacted org*/*redacted repo*
  Warning: ⚠️ Reached 'maxPullRequests' count 200
  ℹ️ Retrieved 280 merged PRs for *redacted org*/*redacted repo*
  ℹ️ Retrieved 1371 release commits for *redacted org*/*redacted repo*
  
  ::set-output name=pull_requests::68,89,96,320,325,330,333,334,332,336,341,331,348,351,356,357,359,364,363,367,368,369,370,371,372,360,376,375,377,378,379,384,385,387,383,390,392,397,396,395,399,401,398,402,404,407,409,410,412,416,432,433,435,436,443,444,447,448,451,449,453,454,455,459,458,460,462,461,463,464,465,466,467,469,468,470,471,472,473,475,476,477,478,479,480,484,485,481,487,482,488,489,490,491,492,493,486,494,496,497,498,499,500,501,502,504,505,507,509,511,513,512,516,515,518,514,517,519,520,521,524,522,525,526,527,532,530,531,533,534,538,536,537,539,540,541,544,546,545,549,548,547,552,556,553,557,559,561,563,564,508,554,565,566,567,568,569,570,573,574,575,576,577,578,579,571,580,582,572,583,584,581,586,587,588,589,590,593,594,596,597,598,599,601,602,606,607,608,610,612,611,626,620,629,630,631,633,634,636,635,637,638,639,640,642,613,641,643,644,645,646,648,647,654,655,656,652,657,653,651,659,663,661,665,660,667,669,671,672,673,674,675,678,679,680,683,684,670,686,690,691,689,694,697,696,692,698,699,703,705,702,708,704,706
  ##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.pull_requests='68,89,96,320,325,330,333,334,332,336,341,331,348,351,356,357,359,364,363,367,368,369,370,371,372,360,376,375,377,378,379,384,385,387,383,390,392,397,396,395,399,401,398,402,404,407,409,410,412,416,432,433,435,436,443,444,447,448,451,449,453,454,455,459,458,460,462,461,463,464,465,466,467,469,468,470,471,472,473,475,476,477,478,479,480,484,485,481,487,482,488,489,490,491,492,493,486,494,496,497,498,499,500,501,502,504,505,507,509,511,513,512,516,515,518,514,517,519,520,521,524,522,525,526,527,532,530,531,533,534,538,536,537,539,540,541,544,546,545,549,548,547,552,556,553,557,559,561,563,564,508,554,565,566,567,568,569,570,573,574,575,576,577,578,579,571,580,582,572,583,584,581,586,587,588,589,590,593,594,596,597,598,599,601,602,606,607,608,610,612,611,626,620,629,630,631,633,634,636,635,637,638,639,640,642,613,641,643,644,645,646,648,647,654,655,656,652,657,653,651,659,663,661,665,660,667,669,671,672,673,674,675,678,679,680,683,684,670,686,690,691,689,694,697,696,692,698,699,703,705,702,708,704,706'
  ::endgroup::
::group::📦 Build changelog
📦 Build changelog
  ℹ️ Sorted all pull requests ascending: ASC
  ℹ️ Used 0 transformers to adjust message
  ✒️ Wrote messages for 254 pull requests
  ℹ️ Ordered all pull requests into 3 categories
  ✒️ Wrote 0 categorized pull requests down
  ✒️ Wrote 254 non categorized pull requests down
  ✒️ Wrote 0 ignored pull requests down
  ℹ️ Filled template
  ::endgroup::

::set-output name=changelog::- no changes
##[debug]steps.github_release.outputs.changelog='- no changes'
##[debug]Node Action run completed with exit code 0
##[debug]Finishing: Build Changelog

Odd, though it was provided, the file exists in the repo, and the job is checking out the branch, the build log still suggests no config was provided.

[smith-it]

I may have found the source of both problems... My workflow is passing in the values as environment variables, not inputs.

Maybe worth it's own issue... perhaps the GH token should be defined as a secret input value in the action.yml file instead of expected as an environment variable.

[smith-it]

Switching workflow step parameters from env variables to with inputs corrected all issues. Thanks for the quick responses and aid in troubleshooting!

[mikepenz]

@smith-it glad you were able to resolve the problems.

To the note of the token. The token can be passed via the GitHub actions approach as env variable

        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

but also as token directly to the configuration

- name: "Complex Configuration"
  id: build_changelog
  if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
  uses: mikepenz/release-changelog-builder-action@{latest-release}
  with:
    configuration: "configuration_complex.json"
    owner: "mikepenz"
    repo: "release-changelog-builder-action"
    ignorePreReleases: "false"
    fromTag: "0.3.0"
    toTag: "0.5.0"
    token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}

https://github.com/mikepenz/release-changelog-builder-action#advanced-workflow-specification