Add a GitHub action to automatically update projects

[ezio-melotti]

This is a meta issue about a newly added GitHub action that automatically updates projects:

• Add a workflow to add issues/PRs to projects. cpython#94447
  • backport to 3.11: [3.11] Add a workflow to add issues/PRs to projects. (GH-94447) cpython#94477
  • backport to 3.10: [3.10] Add a workflow to add issues/PRs to projects. (GH-94447) cpython#94475
• Remove pull_request trigger from the project-updater GHA. cpython#94483
• Add more jobs for other labels/projects
  • Automatically update more GitHub projects. cpython#94921
  • Add sprint issues to the Sprint 2022 project. cpython#97788
• Backport to 3.11/3.10

---

python/cpython#94447 added a first version of the workflow that updates the Release and Deferred blockers project, and:

• I tested that the issue is added to the project when:
  • the release-blocker label is applied
  • the deferred-blocker label is applied
• removing the label doesn't remove the issue from the project
• there doesn't seem to be a way to set the type automatically from the action
  • it can be set manually either in the issue or in the project
• it takes about 10-15s before the issue (dis)appears in the project
• a manual refresh on the issue is needed before the project (dis)appears in the sidebar

After attempting backports in python/cpython#94477 and python/cpython#94475, the check failed because it couldn't access the secret. After some investigation it turns out that PRs created from forks can't access secrets. In addition, this action would add a check for each job in the PR (currently only one, but I'm planning to add more for the other labels/projects):

Click to see screenshot of the job in the PR checks list

Therefore, I submitted python/cpython#94483 to remove the pull_request trigger and only run the action for issues, solving the issue with the secret and the extra checks in PRs.

[ezio-melotti]

• See also Projects: Auto-add item to project automation  github/roadmap#576

[auscompgeek]

pull_request trigger

Would using the pull_request_target trigger work instead?

[ezio-melotti]

Even if it does, I'm not sure we want to add PRs to the projects anymore.

[ezio-melotti]

Projects now support a workflow to automatically add issues/PRs to projects, even though it seems to have some limitations (e.g. can't set custom fields based on a label, and also limitations based on the account type).
For now I enabled it as a test to the Release and deferred blockers project -- if it works well we could enable it on more projects and get rid of the workflow added in python/cpython#94447.

See:

• https://github.blog/changelog/2023-03-09-github-issues-projects-march-9th-update/#robot-automatically-add-and-archive-project-items
• https://docs.github.com/en/issues/planning-and-tracking-with-projects/automating-your-project/adding-items-automatically

[CAM-Gerlach]

Also, Triagers can now add issues/PRs to projects directly due to the changes in #460 , as far as I'm aware, so anyone who can add a label can also add directly to the project.