github.com/google/go-github/v42@v42.0.0/README.md (about) 1 # go-github # 2 3 [](https://github.com/google/go-github/releases) 4 [](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/google/go-github/v42/github) 5 [](https://github.com/google/go-github/actions?query=workflow%3Atests) 6 [](https://codecov.io/gh/google/go-github) 7 [](https://groups.google.com/group/go-github) 8 [](https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/796) 9 10 go-github is a Go client library for accessing the [GitHub API v3][]. 11 12 Currently, **go-github requires Go version 1.13 or greater**. go-github tracks 13 [Go's version support policy][support-policy]. We do our best not to break 14 older versions of Go if we don't have to, but due to tooling constraints, we 15 don't always test older versions. 16 17 [support-policy]: https://golang.org/doc/devel/release.html#policy 18 19 If you're interested in using the [GraphQL API v4][], the recommended library is 20 [shurcooL/githubv4][]. 21 22 ## Installation ## 23 24 go-github is compatible with modern Go releases in module mode, with Go installed: 25 26 ```bash 27 go get github.com/google/go-github/v42 28 ``` 29 30 will resolve and add the package to the current development module, along with its dependencies. 31 32 Alternatively the same can be achieved if you use import in a package: 33 34 ```go 35 import "github.com/google/go-github/v42/github" 36 ``` 37 38 and run `go get` without parameters. 39 40 Finally, to use the top-of-trunk version of this repo, use the following command: 41 42 ```bash 43 go get github.com/google/go-github/v42@master 44 ``` 45 46 ## Usage ## 47 48 ```go 49 import "github.com/google/go-github/v42/github" // with go modules enabled (GO111MODULE=on or outside GOPATH) 50 import "github.com/google/go-github/github" // with go modules disabled 51 ``` 52 53 Construct a new GitHub client, then use the various services on the client to 54 access different parts of the GitHub API. For example: 55 56 ```go 57 client := github.NewClient(nil) 58 59 // list all organizations for user "willnorris" 60 orgs, _, err := client.Organizations.List(context.Background(), "willnorris", nil) 61 ``` 62 63 Some API methods have optional parameters that can be passed. For example: 64 65 ```go 66 client := github.NewClient(nil) 67 68 // list public repositories for org "github" 69 opt := &github.RepositoryListByOrgOptions{Type: "public"} 70 repos, _, err := client.Repositories.ListByOrg(context.Background(), "github", opt) 71 ``` 72 73 The services of a client divide the API into logical chunks and correspond to 74 the structure of the GitHub API documentation at 75 https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/rest/reference/. 76 77 NOTE: Using the [context](https://godoc.org/context) package, one can easily 78 pass cancelation signals and deadlines to various services of the client for 79 handling a request. In case there is no context available, then `context.Background()` 80 can be used as a starting point. 81 82 For more sample code snippets, head over to the 83 [example](https://github.com/google/go-github/tree/master/example) directory. 84 85 ### Authentication ### 86 87 The go-github library does not directly handle authentication. Instead, when 88 creating a new client, pass an `http.Client` that can handle authentication for 89 you. The easiest and recommended way to do this is using the [oauth2][] 90 library, but you can always use any other library that provides an 91 `http.Client`. If you have an OAuth2 access token (for example, a [personal 92 API token][]), you can use it with the oauth2 library using: 93 94 ```go 95 import "golang.org/x/oauth2" 96 97 func main() { 98 ctx := context.Background() 99 ts := oauth2.StaticTokenSource( 100 &oauth2.Token{AccessToken: "... your access token ..."}, 101 ) 102 tc := oauth2.NewClient(ctx, ts) 103 104 client := github.NewClient(tc) 105 106 // list all repositories for the authenticated user 107 repos, _, err := client.Repositories.List(ctx, "", nil) 108 } 109 ``` 110 111 Note that when using an authenticated Client, all calls made by the client will 112 include the specified OAuth token. Therefore, authenticated clients should 113 almost never be shared between different users. 114 115 See the [oauth2 docs][] for complete instructions on using that library. 116 117 For API methods that require HTTP Basic Authentication, use the 118 [`BasicAuthTransport`](https://godoc.org/github.com/google/go-github/github#BasicAuthTransport). 119 120 GitHub Apps authentication can be provided by the [ghinstallation](https://github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation) 121 package. 122 123 ```go 124 import ( 125 "github.com/bradleyfalzon/ghinstallation/v2" 126 "github.com/google/go-github/v42/github" 127 ) 128 129 func main() { 130 // Wrap the shared transport for use with the integration ID 1 authenticating with installation ID 99. 131 itr, err := ghinstallation.NewKeyFromFile(http.DefaultTransport, 1, 99, "2016-10-19.private-key.pem") 132 if err != nil { 133 // Handle error. 134 } 135 136 // Use installation transport with client. 137 client := github.NewClient(&http.Client{Transport: itr}) 138 139 // Use client... 140 } 141 ``` 142 143 *Note*: In order to interact with certain APIs, for example writing a file to a repo, one must generate an installation token 144 using the installation ID of the GitHub app and authenticate with the OAuth method mentioned above. See the examples. 145 146 ### Rate Limiting ### 147 148 GitHub imposes a rate limit on all API clients. Unauthenticated clients are 149 limited to 60 requests per hour, while authenticated clients can make up to 150 5,000 requests per hour. The Search API has a custom rate limit. Unauthenticated 151 clients are limited to 10 requests per minute, while authenticated clients 152 can make up to 30 requests per minute. To receive the higher rate limit when 153 making calls that are not issued on behalf of a user, 154 use `UnauthenticatedRateLimitedTransport`. 155 156 The returned `Response.Rate` value contains the rate limit information 157 from the most recent API call. If a recent enough response isn't 158 available, you can use `RateLimits` to fetch the most up-to-date rate 159 limit data for the client. 160 161 To detect an API rate limit error, you can check if its type is `*github.RateLimitError`: 162 163 ```go 164 repos, _, err := client.Repositories.List(ctx, "", nil) 165 if _, ok := err.(*github.RateLimitError); ok { 166 log.Println("hit rate limit") 167 } 168 ``` 169 170 Learn more about GitHub rate limiting at 171 https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/rest/reference/rate-limit. 172 173 ### Accepted Status ### 174 175 Some endpoints may return a 202 Accepted status code, meaning that the 176 information required is not yet ready and was scheduled to be gathered on 177 the GitHub side. Methods known to behave like this are documented specifying 178 this behavior. 179 180 To detect this condition of error, you can check if its type is 181 `*github.AcceptedError`: 182 183 ```go 184 stats, _, err := client.Repositories.ListContributorsStats(ctx, org, repo) 185 if _, ok := err.(*github.AcceptedError); ok { 186 log.Println("scheduled on GitHub side") 187 } 188 ``` 189 190 ### Conditional Requests ### 191 192 The GitHub API has good support for conditional requests which will help 193 prevent you from burning through your rate limit, as well as help speed up your 194 application. `go-github` does not handle conditional requests directly, but is 195 instead designed to work with a caching `http.Transport`. We recommend using 196 https://github.com/gregjones/httpcache for that. 197 198 Learn more about GitHub conditional requests at 199 https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/rest/overview/resources-in-the-rest-api#conditional-requests. 200 201 ### Creating and Updating Resources ### 202 203 All structs for GitHub resources use pointer values for all non-repeated fields. 204 This allows distinguishing between unset fields and those set to a zero-value. 205 Helper functions have been provided to easily create these pointers for string, 206 bool, and int values. For example: 207 208 ```go 209 // create a new private repository named "foo" 210 repo := &github.Repository{ 211 Name: github.String("foo"), 212 Private: github.Bool(true), 213 } 214 client.Repositories.Create(ctx, "", repo) 215 ``` 216 217 Users who have worked with protocol buffers should find this pattern familiar. 218 219 ### Pagination ### 220 221 All requests for resource collections (repos, pull requests, issues, etc.) 222 support pagination. Pagination options are described in the 223 `github.ListOptions` struct and passed to the list methods directly or as an 224 embedded type of a more specific list options struct (for example 225 `github.PullRequestListOptions`). Pages information is available via the 226 `github.Response` struct. 227 228 ```go 229 client := github.NewClient(nil) 230 231 opt := &github.RepositoryListByOrgOptions{ 232 ListOptions: github.ListOptions{PerPage: 10}, 233 } 234 // get all pages of results 235 var allRepos []*github.Repository 236 for { 237 repos, resp, err := client.Repositories.ListByOrg(ctx, "github", opt) 238 if err != nil { 239 return err 240 } 241 allRepos = append(allRepos, repos...) 242 if resp.NextPage == 0 { 243 break 244 } 245 opt.Page = resp.NextPage 246 } 247 ``` 248 249 For complete usage of go-github, see the full [package docs][]. 250 251 [GitHub API v3]: https://docs.github.com/en/rest 252 [oauth2]: https://github.com/golang/oauth2 253 [oauth2 docs]: https://godoc.org/golang.org/x/oauth2 254 [personal API token]: https://github.com/blog/1509-personal-api-tokens 255 [package docs]: https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/google/go-github/v42/github 256 [GraphQL API v4]: https://developer.github.com/v4/ 257 [shurcooL/githubv4]: https://github.com/shurcooL/githubv4 258 259 ### Testing code that uses `go-github` 260 261 The repo [migueleliasweb/go-github-mock](https://github.com/migueleliasweb/go-github-mock) provides a way to mock responses. Check the repo for more details. 262 263 ### Integration Tests ### 264 265 You can run integration tests from the `test` directory. See the integration tests [README](test/README.md). 266 267 ## Contributing ## 268 I would like to cover the entire GitHub API and contributions are of course always welcome. The 269 calling pattern is pretty well established, so adding new methods is relatively 270 straightforward. See [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details. 271 272 ## Versioning ## 273 274 In general, go-github follows [semver](https://semver.org/) as closely as we 275 can for tagging releases of the package. For self-contained libraries, the 276 application of semantic versioning is relatively straightforward and generally 277 understood. But because go-github is a client library for the GitHub API, which 278 itself changes behavior, and because we are typically pretty aggressive about 279 implementing preview features of the GitHub API, we've adopted the following 280 versioning policy: 281 282 * We increment the **major version** with any incompatible change to 283 non-preview functionality, including changes to the exported Go API surface 284 or behavior of the API. 285 * We increment the **minor version** with any backwards-compatible changes to 286 functionality, as well as any changes to preview functionality in the GitHub 287 API. GitHub makes no guarantee about the stability of preview functionality, 288 so neither do we consider it a stable part of the go-github API. 289 * We increment the **patch version** with any backwards-compatible bug fixes. 290 291 Preview functionality may take the form of entire methods or simply additional 292 data returned from an otherwise non-preview method. Refer to the GitHub API 293 documentation for details on preview functionality. 294 295 ## License ## 296 297 This library is distributed under the BSD-style license found in the [LICENSE](./LICENSE) 298 file.