📦 Github Action full release data

A Github action to retrieve all release data from github releases.

❓ Why another github-action to retrieve release data?

During the development of build jobs, I had to use different Github actions to download release asset files, read the last tag name or retrieve the release notes. The goal is to provide a simplified, well-documented Github action that provides all the information of a github release in just a single github action.

About

Use latest release tag, body content or, download release assets of a github release. The data can be retrieved from public and private repositories.

Usage

🏳️ See the inputs section for detailed descriptions.

  - name: Get Release data of private repository
    id: release_data
    uses: KevinRohn/github-full-release-data@v2
    with:
      repository: "organisation-or-username/repository" # (Optional) Repository name to fetch release data.
      token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} # (Optional) `token` of the private repository from which the release information should be retrieved.
      version: latest  # (Optional) The version from which the release information is to be retrieved.
      body-markdown-file-path: output/release-body-content.md # (Optional) Specify an output path where the body output should be saved.
      asset-file: '*.dat,picture.jpg' # (Optional) Name of the asset files to download.
      asset-output: 'download-output/' # (Optional) The output path in which the downloaded asset files should be placed.

Usage Examples

🚩 See the example-github-full-release-data repository for more examples.

Get the latest tag_name and use it in further steps

    # Fetch release data of the current repository from where the workflow is used.
  - name: Get Release data
    id: release_data
    uses: KevinRohn/github-full-release-data@v2

  - name: Show tag name with echo
    run: echo ${{ steps.release_data.outputs.tag_name }}

Get body content from github release of a private repository and use it in further steps

  - name: Get Release data of private repository
    id: release_data
    uses: KevinRohn/github-full-release-data@v2
    with:
      repository: "organisation-or-username/repository"
      token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      version: latest
  
  - name: Write release `body` content line by line to file
    run: |
      {
        echo '${{ fromJSON(steps.release_data.outputs.body) }}'
      } >> test-file.txt

  - name: Show release `body` content
    run: |
      echo '${{ fromJSON(steps.release_data.outputs.body) }}'

Download release asset-file from github release

  - name: Download release asset file
    id: release_data
    uses: KevinRohn/github-full-release-data@v2
    with: 
      asset-file: '*.dat'
      asset-output: './'

  - name: Show file output
    run: |
      ls -lah

Inputs

The action supports the following inputs:

• repository

  Repository name to fetch release data.

  If no repository is passed as an input. The repository from the build workflow is used. It's possible to fetch release data from any given repository. Just use <org>/<repo> as an input parameter. It's also possible to fetch release data from private repositories. In this case, just pass the token input parameter.

  Required: false

• token

  token of the private repository from which the release information should be retrieved.

  Pass the input parameter token to fetch release information from private repositories.
  e.g.: secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN

  Required: false

• version

  The version from which the release information is to be retrieved.

  If the input value is not set, the default value latest is used. It's possible to fetch release data from a given tag. To fetch a specific tag just use <tag-name>.

  Required: false

• body-markdown-file-path

  Specify an output path where the body output should be saved.

  If the path is valid and the file is accessible then, the body output content will be saved into the file. Save the file in the current working directory: ./release-content.md.

  Required: false

• asset-file

  Name of the asset files to download.

  To download release asset files, just use the input parameter asset-file. To download multiple release asset files use , comma as a separator.
  
  Example:
  Download all .PNG and .JPEG files: *.PNG,*.JPEG
  Download release asset with a static name: myfile-to-download.extension

  Required: false

• asset-output

  The output path in which the downloaded asset files should be placed.

  The input value is required if the input value asset-file was specified.

  Required: false

Outputs

Output	Description
url	Release URL to use in API calls
html_url	Release URL
assets_url	Asset URL to use in API calls
upload_url	Upload URL for release assets
tarball_url	Url to tarball content
zipball_url	Url to zipball content
discussion_url	Discussion URL - can be null if discussion is deactivated
id	Release id
node_id	Release node id
tag_name	Release tag name
target_commitish	Target from which the release is created
body	The body output from release. It's a multiline output, which is packed in a JSON object. The output can be used with the fromJSON function (steps.<id>.outputs.body).
draft	Shows if the release is a draft release or not (true/false)
prerelease	Shows if the release is a pre-release (true/false)
created_at	Shows the release creation date
published_at	Shows the published date of the release
assets_array_json	The assets_array_json output from release. It's a multiline output, which is packed in a JSON object. The output can be used with the fromJSON function (steps.<id>.outputs.assets_array_json).
author_json	The author_json output from release. It's a multiline output, which is packed in a JSON object. The output can be used with the fromJSON function (steps.<id>.outputs.assets_array_json).

Support

Supported runners for Version v2

OS	supported?
Linux OS runner	✅
macOS runner	✅
windows OS runner	❌