Renovate / Add support for renovate.config.js

[Djiit]

As the preferred way for using Renovate with their official Github Action is to use a .js file instead of a json, we should add renovate.js and renovate.config.js.

Changes proposed:

• Add

[JimiC]

This also adds support for renovate.config.json. Don't know if this is wanted.

[Djiit]

Nope. How can I prevent it ?

[JimiC]

Both need to be added in extensions instead.

[JimiC]

But it conflicts with https://docs.renovatebot.com/configuration-options/.
Do you have any link that supports your claim?

[Djiit]

Yes sure. A .JS file is used by their official Github Action : https://github.com/vidavidorra/github-action-renovate (strange it is not yet under their renovate org, but anyway they sent me here in this comment : renovatebot/renovate#5881 (comment))

[Djiit]

Updated the commit with your suggestions

[JimiC]

I ended up digging into Renovate code (something I didn't want to do).
According to their code-base:
These are the supported config file names: https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/master/lib/config/app-strings.ts
which are checked here: https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/master/lib/workers/repository/init/config.ts#L38

But they also use several other config parsers, one of which is a file parser -> https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/master/lib/config/index.ts#L50

Now if you follow the code you will end up in the file config parser -> https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/master/lib/config/file.ts which in this line https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/master/lib/config/file.ts#L15 they use require (commonjs module loader) to load a json from a js file.

This is how they do it which is unconventional if you ask me.

Bottom line, either ask them to officially support js config files or change the GitHub Action implementation.

[Djiit]

Allright :). Thanks for your complete anwser. I'll close this.

[JimiC]

Furthermore, the renovate Github Action should not use that "hack" and let renovate load the configuration from an official supported file, in my opinion.

[JimiC]

Reading the entrypoint.sh of https://github.com/renovatebot/github-action/blob/master/src/entrypoint.sh the action doesn't work if you don't specify a configuration path.
And it forces you to use a js file.
Totally unconventional.

[JimiC]

This https://github.com/renovatebot/github-action/blob/master/src/entrypoint.sh#L21 should definitely be changed to support the official config filenames.

[Djiit]

Hey, yes I totally agree with you. nvm, I'll reopen a PR here if things change on their side :)