README.md

Action Tagger

Action Tagger automatically sets semantic tags when releasing a new version of a GitHub action. This action adheres to GitHub's action versioning guide, and removes the tedious task of having to manually set and shift tags like v1 and v1.2 to ensure they always point to a newer release. Tags produced and managed by this action will continue to work alongside other methods for referencing a release such as pointing to a branch, SHA, or other tags to meet different needs. In fact, Action Tagger currently manages its own release tags in a very similar way as described further down.

Features

• Automate the setting and shifting of first and second level semantic tags.
• Optionally set a latest tag to use as an alternative to pointing to main.
• Support for working in conjunction with other automated workflows like release generators.
• Tag format is validated during a run to ensure correct conformity.
• Support for running the action in a dry run mode without making actual changes.
• Summary reports are generated after each run.
• Reference outputs of managed tags for additional possibilities.

Compatibility

Below is a list of GitHub-hosted runners that support jobs using this action.

Runner	Supported?
	✅
	✅
	✅

Inputs

The following inputs are available:

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
enable‑dry‑run	string	false	false	Indicates whether or not to perform a dry run without pushing tags.
set‑latest‑tag	string	false	false	Indicates whether or not to also set the latest tag.
release‑version	string	false	${{ github.ref }}	Overrides the release version used for processing (e.g., v1.0.0 or refs/tags/v1.0.0).
github‑token	string	false	${{ github.token }}	Overrides the default GitHub token used to authenticate against a repository for Git context.

Note

Enabling dry run will use a dummy version of v1.0.0 regardless of what version tags are available, or what override value is provided.

Outputs

The following outputs are available:

Name	Type	Example	Description
major_release	string	v1	The latest major release version.
minor_release	string	v1.2	The latest major and feature release version.
full_release	string	v1.2.3	The full release version.
latest_tag	string	false	Indicates whether of not the latest tag was set.

Usage

Implementing this action is relatively simple with just a few steps.

1. Below is a working example of a typical release workflow using Action Tagger. Add this to a file called something like action-release-workflow.yml, and place it in the .github/workflows/ folder. Token permissions have been scoped down to contents:write with support for pushing tags.

   name: action-release-tags
   
   on:
     release:
       types: [released, edited]
   
   jobs:
     action-tagger:
       name: action-tagger
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       permissions:
         contents: write
       environment: releases
   
       steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           # Disabling shallow clone ensures all commits 
           # and tags are available at checkout.
           fetch-depth: 0
   
       - name: Tag Release
         id: action-tagger
         uses: stevenjdh/action-tagger@v1
         with:
           set-latest-tag: true

2. When it's time to create a release, ensure that the tag being set is using the format vX.X.X. For example, v1.2.3. This will trigger the process and automate the rest.

3. Done. Feel free to edit the release if a mistake was made, and Action Tagger will reflect the changes for this as well.

Tip

If using a release generator, define this action in that workflow and override the version used for processing with the generated one. This is needed because the release event will not be triggered due to safeguards in the default GitHub token for preventing recursive workflow runs. Alternatively, use a PAT with either workflow or repo scoped permissions, as PATs do not have the same limitations, except for the need to manage their expiration.

Disclaimer

Action Tagger is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.

Contributing

Thanks for your interest in contributing! There are many ways to contribute to this project. Get started here.

Do you have any questions?

Many commonly asked questions are answered in the FAQ: https://github.com/StevenJDH/action-tagger/wiki/FAQ

Want to show your support?

Method	Address
PayPal:	https://www.paypal.me/stevenjdh
Cryptocurrency:	Supported options

// Steven Jenkins De Haro ("StevenJDH" on GitHub)