GitHub PR Report Generator

This Docker container generates a report of recent Pull Requests for a specified GitHub repository.

Prerequisites

• Docker
• GitHub Personal Access Token

Configuration

You can provide the GitHub token, repository, and number of days to look back in three ways (in order of priority):

1. Command line arguments
2. Environment variables
3. Config file

Command Line Arguments

• --token or -t: GitHub Token
• --repo or -r: GitHub Repository (owner/repo)
• --days or -d: Number of days to look back (default: 7)
• --debug: Print various debug messages to help with token or repo issues

Environment Variables

• PR_REPORT_TOKEN: GitHub Token
• PR_REPORT_REPO: GitHub Repository
• PR_REPORT_DAYS_AGO: Number of days to look back (default: 7)

.env File

Create a .env file in the same directory as the script with the following content:

PR_REPORT_TOKEN=your_github_token_here
PR_REPORT_REPO=owner/repo
PR_REPORT_DAYS_AGO=7

Setup

0. Install Docker:

   brew install docker --cask
   

1. Build the Docker image:

   docker build -t github-pr-report .
   

Usage

Run the container using the provided script:

./run.sh [--repo=REPO_NAME] [--token=TOKEN] [--days=DAYS_AGO] [--debug]

The report will be printed to the console.

System Diagram

Scheduling with Cron

To schedule the report to run once every 24 hours, you can use Cron. Here's how:

1. Open your terminal and run crontab -e to edit your Cron table.
2. Add the following line to schedule the report:

5 3 * * * PATH_TO_RUN_SH/run.sh [--repo=REPO_NAME] [--token=TOKEN] [--days=DAYS_AGO]

This will run the container every day at 3:05 a.m., printing the report to the console.

That's it! Your GitHub PR Report Generator is now scheduled to run daily.

Future Improvements

• The script can take a while to run if there are a lot of PRs to sort through. I'd like to add a progress bar so it's obvious things are still happening.
• The brief for this challenge was to output the report as if in an email, but not actually send it. I would add configuration for email parameters like To, From, and Subject.
• I'd consider integrating with Slack, to send the daily update to a team channel, for example.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while using the PR Report Generator, here are some common problems and their solutions:

Authentication and Access Issues

1. Invalid or Missing Token

   • Ensure you've provided a valid GitHub token.
   • Check that the token hasn't expired.
   • Verify the token has the necessary permissions (at least repo or public_repo).

2. Repository Not Found or Access Denied

   • Confirm the repository name is correct and in the format owner/repo.
   • Ensure your token has access to the specified repository.
   • For private repositories, verify your token has the repo scope.

Data and Rate Limiting Issues

3. No PRs Within Day Limit

   • Verify that the repository has recent PR activity.
   • Try increasing the --days parameter.

4. Rate Limit Exceeded

   • Wait for the rate limit to reset (usually 1 hour).
   • Use a personal access token instead of unauthenticated access.
   • For high-volume use, consider using a GitHub Apps token with higher rate limits.

5. Large Repository Performance

   • For repositories with many PRs, try reducing the time range.
   • Be patient, as processing may take longer for larger datasets.

Network and Environment Issues

6. Network Connectivity Problems

   • Check your internet connection.
   • Verify any firewall or proxy settings aren't blocking access to GitHub.
   • Ensure GitHub is accessible from your network.

7. Timezone Discrepancies

   • The script uses your system's timezone. Ensure it's set correctly.
   • You can check your system time and timezone settings if dates seem off.

Docker and Dependency Issues

8. Docker Build or Run Failures

   • Ensure Docker is installed and running correctly.
   • Try rebuilding the image: docker build -t github-pr-report .
   • Check Docker logs: docker logs <container_id>

9. Gem Installation Problems

   • If running outside Docker, ensure you have Ruby and Bundler installed.
   • Try updating gems: bundle update

Debugging

10. Using Debug Mode
    • Run the script with --debug for more detailed output.
    • This can help identify issues with API calls or data processing.

Staying Updated

11. API Changes or Script Outdated
    • Ensure you're using the latest version of the script.
    • Check for updates to the Octokit gem: bundle update octokit

If you continue to experience issues after trying these solutions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository with details about the problem and any error messages you've received.