GitHub CLI 2.21.0

[github-actions[bot]]

What's New

Selecting a default repository

When running a gh command for the first time in a local git repository that has multiple git remotes, gh used to interactively ask Which should be the base repository? so that the user may choose the git remote to default to when making queries to GitHub repositories. This had several problems:

• Some users did not fully understand what they are being asked to choose;
• The term “base repository” isn't an established GitHub term, except in the context of Pull Requests;
• Once chosen, the only way to undo or change the choice made was to manually edit .git/config in the local repository.

The new behavior is as follows:

• gh commands in a repository with multiple remotes will now error out until a default has been chosen.
• The new gh repo set-default command can be used to select a default, view the selected value, or undo the selection altogether.

Thank you @bchadwic and @vilmibm! #4859 #6738

Internal git operations are now always authenticated

Previously, it could be confusing that a properly authenticated gh repo clone <repo> command could fail with a prompt for GitHub password. The underlying reason was that gh repo clone would shell out to git clone <url>, and from then on the authentication was entirely up to git's own credential management. If git wasn't set up to authenticate to GitHub, this could result in a generic password prompt, which appeared as if it was coming from gh.

The best general solution for setting up git to use credentials from GitHub CLI is to run gh auth setup-git. However, in this release, gh ensures that all underlying git operations are authenticated by gh, even if git on its own wasn't configured with a credential helper.

The way this works is by injecting extra configuration arguments when shelling out to git:

git -c credential.helper='!gh auth git-credential' clone <url>

Thank you @samcoe! #6541

api command can now send nested JSON parameters

The gh api command is similar to the popular curl tool, but with JSON support and with built-in GitHub authentication. Sending POST parameters was as easy as:

gh api <endpoint> -f 'param1=value1' -f 'param2=value2'

Now there is also a way to send nested JSON objects and arrays via a special key syntax:

gh api <endpoint> -f 'head[branch][name]=main'

gh api <endpoint> -f 'labels[]=bug' -f 'labels[]=priority-1'

🎉 #6614

Other goodies

• Add issue lock/unlock and pr lock/unlock commands by @chemotaxis in Add lock and unlock commands for issues and pull requests #5333
• release create: add --verify-tag flag by @luanzeba in Add --verify-tag flag for release creation command #6632
• release create: add --exclude-pre-releases flag by @owenvoke in feat: add support to exclude pre-releases #6625
• repo create: prompt for repository owner in interactive mode by @twelvelabs in Prompt for owner when interactively creating repos #6578
• repo edit: add --allow-update-branch flag by @browniebroke in Add --allow-update-branch to the repo edit command #6706
• extension upgrade: show version change information by @despreston in Show version diff when updating a single extension #6647
• Codespaces: Use -R for --repo shorthand and deprecate -r by @cmbrose in Codespaces: Use -R for --repo shorthand and deprecate -r #6725
• codespace create: allow setting display name for the new codespace by @despreston in Allow setting codespace display name during create #6739
• alias list: change output format to YAML by @ptforness in Change alias list output format to YAML #6603
• JSON export improvements:
  • Add author information in pr list JSON output by @hirasawayuki in Add author information in pr list JSON output #5049
  • Add isDraft to search prs json options, matching pr view by @mgabeler-lee-6rs in Add isDraft to search prs json options, matching pr view #6704
  • Expose commit SHA in PR reviews JSON export by @mislav in Expose commit SHA in PR reviews JSON export #6646

What's Changed

• ap: avoid sending empty JSON body when no params for a non-GET request by @mislav in Avoid sending empty JSON body when no params to api command #6775
• release: more resilient release creation and asset management by @mislav in More resilient release commands #6667
  • A failed release create no longer leaves a temporary draft release behind
  • A draft release made by release create is now immediately referencable by tag name
  • Failed asset uploads will get retried several times
  • Fix clobbering existing files in release download by @mislav in Fix clobbering old files in release download #6694
• pr create: exclude the current user from potential reviewers by @nsmag in Exclude the current user from reviewers when creating pr #6464
• codespace ports: use new domain in URLs of forwarded ports by @jshorty in Use new domain for forwarded ports #6705
• Document installing GitHub CLI in Codespaces by @mislav in Document installing GitHub CLI in Codespaces #6653
• docs: Update installation instructions for WinGet by @vegerot in docs: Update installation instructions for WinGet #6716
• Update Cobra and make use of its new command grouping by @mislav in Update Cobra and make use of its new command grouping #6589
• Update go-gh to v1.0.0 by @samcoe in Update go-gh to v1.0.0 #6618
• Bump mislav/bump-homebrew-formula-action from 1 to 2 by @dependabot in Bump mislav/bump-homebrew-formula-action from 1 to 2 #6634
• Upgrade to Go 1.19 by @mislav in Upgrade to Go 1.19 #6723
• Use Prompter in pr package by @vilmibm in use Prompter in pr package #6451
• Use Prompter in release command by @vilmibm in port release command to prompter #6711
• Linter fixes by @samcoe in Linter fixes #6722
• Bump goreleaser/goreleaser-action from 3 to 4 by @dependabot in Bump goreleaser/goreleaser-action from 3 to 4 #6727
• Fix signing Windows exe on release by @mislav in Fix signing Windows exe on release #6776

New Contributors

• @luanzeba made their first contribution in Add --verify-tag flag for release creation command #6632
• @twelvelabs made their first contribution in Prompt for owner when interactively creating repos #6578
• @vegerot made their first contribution in docs: Update installation instructions for WinGet #6716
• @ptforness made their first contribution in Change alias list output format to YAML #6603

Full Changelog: v2.20.2...v2.21.0

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This discussion was created from the release GitHub CLI 2.21.0.

[waldyrious]

Thanks for addressing #2090! I think the solution is great in terms of behavior, but perhaps the nomenclature could be better. In particular, as @mislav said here, referring to a "default repository" (which is implied by the command gh repo set-default is ambiguous. It would be clearer if the subcommand was e.g. git repo set-default-remote.

I also don't think the reference to "this directory" is an intuitive nomenclature. I tend to think of the directory containing a git repository as "the local repository", not as a generic directory. So I'd also suggest changing the phrasing in:

cli/pkg/cmd/repo/setdefault/setdefault.go

Line 63 in 6618baa

Short: "Configure default repository for this directory",

cli/pkg/cmd/repo/setdefault/setdefault.go

Line 238 in 6618baa

fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.Out, "%s Set %s as the default repository for the current directory\n", cs.SuccessIcon(), ghrepo.FullName(selectedRepo))

cli/context/context.go

Line 95 in 6618baa

"%s No default remote repository has been set for this directory.\n",

...to say e.g. "default remote for this repository".