Auto Issue Validator

The Auto Issue Validator is a custom tool designed for GitLab projects to automate the validation of newly created issues. It ensures that all issues meet predefined criteria for completeness and clarity before being processed further. This tool significantly improves the issue management workflow by reducing manual review time and enhancing the quality of issue submissions.

Features

• Automated Validation: Automatically checks each new issue against a set of predefined rules to ensure that all necessary information is included.
• Immediate Feedback: Posts comments on issues that fail validation, specifying what information is missing or inadequate.
• Customizable Checklist: Allows project maintainers to define their own validation criteria based on the project's requirements.
• Labeling System: Automatically labels issues as validation-passed or validation-failed based on the outcome of the validation.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• GitLab account with maintainer access to the target repository.
• Basic understanding of GitLab CI/CD pipelines.

Installation

Follow these steps to set up and configure the Auto Issue Validator in your project:

1. Clone the Repository

Start by cloning the Auto Issue Validator repository to your local machine:

git clone https://gitlab.rz.htw-berlin.de/your-group/auto-issue-validator.git
cd auto-issue-validator

2. Configure the Validation Script

Edit the check_issue.py file within the Auto Issue Validator directory to define the validation criteria for new issues based on your project's needs.

3. Establish Communication Through the GitLab API

To enable communication with your specific GitLab instance via the GitLab API, set up the necessary variables in the config.py script with appropriate values. This configuration is crucial for the script to interact with your GitLab projects and issues.

4. Set Up the CI/CD Pipeline

You have two options to integrate the validation script into your project's CI/CD pipeline.

Option A: Direct Execution

Add the validation script directly to your .gitlab-ci.yml in the target repository:

stages:
  - validate_issues

validate_new_issues:
  stage: validate_issues
  image: python:3.8
  script:
    - python path/to/auto-issue-validator/main.py
  only:
    - schedules

Option B: Using as a Submodule

Alternatively, if you prefer to use the validator as a submodule:

1. Create a .gitmodules File

   Define the submodule in your project with the correct URL in a .gitmodules file:

   [submodule "extern/submodule"]
     path = extern/submodule
     url = https://[gitlab.instance.url]/your-group/issue-template.git
   

2. Update Your .gitlab-ci.yml

   Configure the CI/CD pipeline to include the submodule, ensuring you replace [gitlab.instance.url] with the actual URL of your GitLab instance:

   stages:
     - check_issues
   
   check_issue_template:
     stage: check_issues
     image: python:3.8
     tags: [Linux]
     before_script:
       - sed -i "s|https://[gitlab.instance.url]|https://gitlab-ci-token:$CI_JOB_TOKEN@[gitlab.instance.url]|" .gitmodules
       - git submodule sync
       - git submodule update --init --recursive
       - pip install python-gitlab
     script:
       - python extern/submodule/main.py
     only:
       - schedules

Note on Triggering Validation

GitLab does not support triggering a pipeline when a new issue is created. To circumvent this limitation, create a scheduled pipeline that periodically checks for new issues to validate. This approach ensures that new issues are validated regularly.

Please replace [your-group], [gitlab.instance.url], and path/to/auto-issue-validator/main.py with your actual values.

Usage

• Creating a New Issue: Simply create a new issue in your GitLab project as usual. The Auto Issue Validator will automatically check the issue and provide feedback.
• Reviewing Validation Feedback: Check the comments posted by the validator on the issue for any required actions.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For support, please open an issue in the repository or contact the project maintainers directly.

Acknowledgments

• Special thanks to GitLab for providing the platform that inspired this tool.

Roadmap

• Q1 2024: Implement basic validation checks for issue titles and descriptions.
• Q2 2024: Add support for custom validation rules specified by the project maintainers.
• Q3 2024: Integrate a feedback system that allows issue creators to see validation results directly in the issue comments.
• Q4 2024: Expand the tool to support validation of merge requests.

Support

For support, please open an issue in the repository or contact the project maintainers directly through GitLab.

Authors and Acknowledgment

Developed by Ismail Al Shuaybi.

Project Status

The project is currently in the development phase, with basic issue validation functionality available. Future updates will focus on enhancing features and incorporating user feedback.