[Bug]: Sync does overwrite new changes

[AppElent]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Describe the bug

When I run this action, it creates a pull request with this change (among multiple):

Actually, this change has been made to the NEW repository (cloned from the template) and not on the old.
Is this expected functionality? If so, it is not suitable for template sync because then it overwrites all my changes.

Expected Behavior

I was expecting to only check for changes on the source side.

Current Behavior

It overwrites new changes that I did with old values.

Steps To Reproduce

No response

Possible Solution

No response

Additional Information/Context

No response

Template sync version Version

v2

[AndreasAugustin]

Hi @AppElent and thankt for the report.
Is this the first time you run the sync? If it is the case then the issue is because both git histories are not merged (yet). Please just edit the commit within the PR branch.
All further runs should not touch your local changes with a exception:
if you change a file within both repositories (source and target) then obviously you will see changes in the PR.
This is per default on purpose so that devs can see that there are changes within the source. Just edit the PR with a new commit.
You are able to adjust this behaviour with the git_remote_pull_params parameter

[marques576]

Is there any better approach to solve this issue? That does not involve editing the commit message in the first PR?

[AndreasAugustin]

Is there any better approach to solve this issue? That does not involve editing the commit message in the first PR?

hi @marques576 and thanks for the question. Unfortunately I did not understand the question. Can you please explain it in more details. E.g. an example from your discovery?

[marques576]

Repo A (github template repo)
Repo B (generated from repo A using github template in the repo creation setup)

For example if I have repo A that is a github template repo and it contains the template-sync workflow. When I create Repo B from the template repo A, they are not in sync because there has never been a PR between both of them. And when I made changes and commit in repo B when the PR happens it will say the "correct" code is the code in repo A and the PR will basically revert my changes

My question is if there is away to sync the repos without having this behaviour in the first PR.
And it not possible to trigger a PR in the repo B creation because there are no changes between the 2 repos.

[AndreasAugustin]

Repo A (github template repo) Repo B (generated from repo A using github template in the repo creation setup)

For example if I have repo A that is a github template repo and it contains the template-sync workflow. When I create Repo B from the template repo A, they are not in sync because there has never been a PR between both of them. And when I made changes and commit in repo B when the PR happens it will say the "correct" code is the code in repo A and the PR will basically revert my changes

My question is if there is away to sync the repos without having this behaviour in the first PR. And it not possible to trigger a PR in the repo B creation because there are no changes between the 2 repos.

The action is working with git . Therefore to somehow merge 2 different repositories you need at least one commit of the one repository into the other one. This is the first commit you mention. Then you will have the needed hashes in the other repository available.

(Unfortunately I still don't get the question about the commit message. )

The answer is: No, I am not aware of a way within git to make this work without a first commit because the repositories have unrelated histories.

The good news is: after the first merge the needed history information is available in the target repository and it is easier for git to get the changes related to the history.

[AppElent]

Hi @AppElent and thankt for the report. Is this the first time you run the sync? If it is the case then the issue is because both git histories are not merged (yet). Please just edit the commit within the PR branch. All further runs should not touch your local changes with a exception: if you change a file within both repositories (source and target) then obviously you will see changes in the PR. This is per default on purpose so that devs can see that there are changes within the source. Just edit the PR with a new commit. You are able to adjust this behaviour with the git_remote_pull_params parameter

Hi, thanks for the feedback. I dont really understand it, can you explain in more detail how this would work? In other words, what does "just edit the commit within the PR branch" mean?
Can you elaborate on the steps?

1. create template repo (done)
2. create child repo (done)
3. first sync run......... (what do I need to do?). I need to check out the PR branch and make edits? What kind of edits?

EDIT:
I think i figured it out.. can you validate?

• I cloned a new repo from the template repo
• I made a small change
• I ran the template sync action
• The new branch told me to revert the change
• I checked out the branch and made some edits to redo the work
• I merged the repos

Now this was a small change as I only did a small edit, but currently I have lots and lots of edits on the child repo, can you advise me on how to fix this now?

EDIT2:
Well no, that doesnt seem to work... I did an hour cleaning up of the branch but after merging, and doing another change, it resuggested all the changes again...

[AppElent]

I didnt edit the commit but I did new commits, how do I edit commit?

[AndreasAugustin]

I didnt edit the commit but I did new commits, how do I edit commit?

you can amend to a commit https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/rewriting-history
but actually if a new commit does not work, a amended commit won't work either.
Do you have by any chance a link to your repository and the remote repository?

Just a question related your steps above. You actually pushed your changes to the branch, right?

[AndreasAugustin]

@AppElent another thought. You can also use the .templatesyncignore file to ignore files for changes.
Reading your statement related a hour long merge issue possibly this is also a solution for you https://github.com/AndreasAugustin/actions-template-sync?tab=readme-ov-file#ignore-files

[AndreasAugustin]

Hi @AppElent did you try the suggestions? Do they work now?

[AppElent]

Hi!
Thanks for the reply. I am using templatesyncignore, this works for some files (that dont change) but not for others.
My template repo: https://github.com/AppElent/template-vite-ts-react-app
Downstream repo: https://github.com/[AppElent/test123](https://github.com/AppElent/test123)

I am pushing directly to main on both repo's

[AndreasAugustin]

Hi! Thanks for the reply. I am using templatesyncignore, this works for some files (that dont change) but not for others. My template repo: https://github.com/AppElent/template-vite-ts-react-app Downstream repo: [https://github.com/AppElent/test123](https://github.com/%5BAppElent/test123%5D(https://github.com/AppElent/test123))

I am pushing directly to main on both repo's

Hi @AppElent thanks for the links but I need to admit. I don't get it.
I only found one PR related to the repo sync https://github.com/AppElent/test123/pull/6 with no changes.
And if you check the logs of the action it states that nothing needs to be done.

https://github.com/AppElent/test123/actions/runs/12868331156/job/35874777930