Versioning for template repositories

[jalvaro]

Select Topic Area

Question

Body

Hi, I have a template repository on Github, but I would like to enable versioning on it so users can choose from which version they want to use the template.

I haven't seen any information related to versioning on Github repository templates. Is it possible to achieve that?
Thanks

[jge162]

You can create a tag for a specific commit in your template repository using the git command line, or through the GitHub web interface. Once you have created a tag, you can use it to refer to that specific version of the repository.

You can also use Git branches to create versions of your template repository. With branches, you can create multiple versions of your template and have them available for use. You can switch between branches, to access different versions of your template.

https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-template-repository

[kse3hi]

Hello @jge162 , all ways that you explain is correct only on half. It is not an issue to create in template repository any kind of versioning (via tag or branches), issue is that user not able to use this version to generate your own repository by referencing on particular version.

Therefore it is Feature Request to extend Github API like, https://docs.github.com/en/rest/repos/repos?apiVersion=2022-11-28#create-a-repository-using-a-template , with possibility to specify branch/tag for template.

E.g.

curl -L \
  -X POST \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>"\
  -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/TEMPLATE_OWNER/TEMPLATE_REPO/generate \
  -d '{"owner":"_","name":"_","description":"_","include_all_branches":false,"private":false, "branch":"<branch_of_template>", "tag":"tag_of_template"}'

New Params:
... "branch":"<branch_of_template>", "tag":"tag_of_template"...

[BjoernAtBosch]

I think, if one wants to instantiate a template repository the ability to reference a certain version (tag, branch, ...) of the template is extremely helpful for mature projects: Users will have the need to create their new project with a certain version, which is not necessarily "latest" all the time, also enabling reproducibility.
One of the important features of template repository instantiation is, that you don't create a full fork/clone of the original repo, but just a "snapshot" as a starting point for your new project. You don't have to carry around the full history of the template, but instead start "fresh" and create your own history. This initial snapshot reflects a certain state of the template and it would be "natural", if you could choose a certain version of it to start over.

[NaffanDroo]

This discussion is what I was looking for in the absence of this feature.

I have a template repo and it has its own actions workflow but occasionally things slip through the net to main branch. It’d be great for a use to be able to select the tag or latest tag as I use release please to build up a tag from the main branch commits when I’m certain it’s releasable.

[github-actions[bot]]

🕒 Discussion Activity Reminder 🕒

This Discussion has been labeled as dormant by an automated system for having no activity in the last 60 days. Please consider one the following actions:

1️⃣ Close as Out of Date: If the topic is no longer relevant, close the Discussion as out of date at the bottom of the page.

2️⃣ Provide More Information: Share additional details or context — or let the community know if you've found a solution on your own.

3️⃣ Mark a Reply as Answer: If your question has been answered by a reply, mark the most helpful reply as the solution.

Note: This dormant notification will only apply to Discussions with the Question label. To learn more, see our recent announcement.

Thank you for helping bring this Discussion to a resolution! 💬

[gabrielbdornas]

Hello guys, Is there any news about this proposal? It looks like fascinating.

Another alternative from the GUI perspective could be adding the option to select a branch in which the new repo will be generated from the template.

Think about the branch main containing all the documentation necessary to understand the project, and the template branch with the template files itself. In this case, when set the repository as a template, you could also set the branch template to be used during new repo creation. Does this make sense to anyone?