GitHub Action: 📓 GitHub Action's Readme Generator

Maintain a current README.md with content from the action.yml file

This is a CLI tool and GitHub Action that reads in the details from a GitHub Action's action.yml file and updates the README.md file with the name, description, usage, inputs, outputs, and examples of the action. Configuration can be provided via a .ghadocs.json file stored in the root directory of the Action's repository, via the command line when using the cli, or via the with: section of this Action.

This tool uses markdown comments as delimiting tokens within the README.md file to determine where to place the generated content. README.example.md example with all fields filled in, and no other free-form content.

CLI usage

Usage Options	Description	Default
--help	Show help	[boolean]
--paths:action, --action	Path to the action.yml	[default: ""]
--paths:readme, --readme	Path to the README.md	[default: ""]
--show_logo, --logo	Display the action's logo in the README	[default: false]
--prettier, --pretty	Format the markdown using prettier formatter	[default: false]
--versioning:enabled, --versioning	Enable the update of the usage version to match the latest version in the package.json file	[default: false]
--versioning:override, --version	Show version number[boolean]	[default: ""]
--versioning:prefix, --vp	Prefix the version with this value (if it isn't already prefixed)	[default: ""]
--versioning:branch, --branch	If versioning is disabled show this branch instead	[default: ""]
--title_prefix, --prefix	Add a prefix to the README title	[default: ""]

Stand Alone Usage - if you have a Docker Action

npx github-action-readme-generator

Install with Yarn or NPM as a dev dependency

yarn add -D github-action-readme-generator
# or
npm i --save-dev github-action-readme-generator

Add a script to your project file

You can modify the script below to include any extra variables you like or use none, and instead use a .ghadocs.json file.

{
  "scripts": {
    "ghadocs": "github-action-readme-generator --readme README.md && git add README.md"
  }
}

Configuration

Example .ghdocs.json with all possible values

{
  "paths": {
    "action": "action.yml",
    "readme": "README.md"
  },
  "show_logo": true,
  "versioning": {
    "enabled": true,
    "override": "",
    "prefix": "v",
    "branch": "main"
  },
  "owner": "bitflight-devops",
  "repo": "github-action-readme-generator",
  "title_prefix": "GitHub Action: ",
  "pretty": true
}

TODO

• Add section for a title to the generator
• Add section for a description to the generator
• Add word wrapping to multi line text
• Add section to generate the action.yml inputs to a table to the generator
• Add section to generate the action.yml outputs to a table to the generator
• Add a markdown contents menu section to the generator
• Allow for using a separate template for generating the readme file
• Add section to embed other markdown files, or directories by path, so that documentation can be organised in the file system.
  i.e: <!-- start [.github/ghdocs/examples/] --> and <!-- end [.github/ghdocs/examples/] -->

Usage

- uses: bitflight-devops/[email protected]
  with:
    # The absolute or relative path to the `action.yml` file to read in from.

    # Default: action.yml

    action: ''

    # The absolute or relative path to the markdown output file that contains the

    # formatting tokens within it.

    # Default: README.md

    readme: ''

    # The GitHub Action repository owner. i.e: `bitflight-devops`

    owner: ''

    # The GitHub Action repository name. i.e: `github-action-readme-generator`

    repo: ''

    # Save the provided values in a `.ghadocs.json` file. This will update any

    # existing `.ghdocs.json` file that is in place.

    save: ''

    # Use `prettier` to pretty print the new README.md file

    pretty: ''

    # Enable the update of the usage version to match the latest version in the

    # `package.json` file

    versioning_enabled: ''

    # Set a specific version to display in the README.md

    version_override: ''

    # Prefix the version with this value (if it isn't already prefixed)

    # Default: v

    version_prefix: ''

    # If versioning is disabled show this branch instead

    # Default: main

    versioning_default_branch: ''

    # Add a prefix to the README title

    # Default: GitHub Action:

    title_prefix: ''

Inputs

Input	Description	Default	Required
action	The absolute or relative path to the action.yml file to read in from.	action.yml	false
readme	The absolute or relative path to the markdown output file that contains the formatting tokens within it.	README.md	false
owner	The GitHub Action repository owner. i.e: bitflight-devops		false
repo	The GitHub Action repository name. i.e: github-action-readme-generator		false
save	Save the provided values in a .ghadocs.json file. This will update any existing .ghdocs.json file that is in place.		false
pretty	Use prettier to pretty print the new README.md file		false
versioning_enabled	Enable the update of the usage version to match the latest version in the package.json file		false
version_override	Set a specific version to display in the README.md		false
version_prefix	Prefix the version with this value (if it isn't already prefixed)	v	false
versioning_default_branch	If versioning is disabled show this branch instead	main	false
title_prefix	Add a prefix to the README title	GitHub Action:	false