https://github.com/ethomson/retarget_prs

A project to batch update the base of PRs
https://github.com/ethomson/retarget_prs

Last synced: about 1 year ago
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A project to batch update the base of PRs

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/ethomson/retarget_prs
• Owner: ethomson
• License: mit
• Created: 2020-06-08T13:55:51.000Z (about 6 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2022-03-26T21:04:29.000Z (about 4 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-26T01:43:40.856Z (about 1 year ago)
• Language: JavaScript
• Size: 504 KB
• Stars: 30
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 3
• Open Issues: 2
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE.txt

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README

          
# retarget_prs

![Master to Main](docs/master_to_main.gif)

This utility will change the base of all the pull requests in your GitHub repository that are currently targeting a different branch.  This is useful if you want to [change the name of your default branch](https://www.hanselman.com/blog/EasilyRenameYourGitDefaultBranchFromMasterToMain.aspx), but you have pull requests open.

For example, if you use the _default_ default branch of `master`, but you want to change that to a name like `main`, by default the pull requests that you already have open in your repository will continue to target the old default branch (`master`).

Fortunately, you can [change the base of an existing pull request](https://github.blog/2016-08-15-change-the-base-branch-of-a-pull-request/), but this is a one-at-a-time, manual operation.

This utility will automate that, and make this change en masse.

## Setup

1. Ensure that you have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) installed.

2. Create a [personal access token](https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/creating-a-personal-access-token-for-the-command-line) to use to authenticate.

## How to

If you want to change the name of the default branch on GitHub:

1. Go to your project and make sure that you are on the current default branch (`master`).  Open the branch picker, and type the name of the new branch (`main`).  Select `Create branch: main from 'master'`.

   ![Create new branch](docs/newbranch.png)

2. Set this as the new default branch.  Go to your project's settings, then select "Branches".  Under "Default branch", open the branch picker and select the new default branch (`main`).

   ![Set the new default](docs/newdefault.png)

3. Update the existing pull requests.  Specify your PAT with `--token`, your repository URL and the old and new branch names:

   ```

   npx retarget_prs --token your_pat https://github.com/your/repo master main

   ```

## Questions?

Need help?  [Open a GitHub issue](https://github.com/ethomson/retarget_prs).

## License

Copyright (c), Edward Thomson.  All rights reserved.

Available under the MIT license, see the included [LICENSE.txt](LICENSE.txt) for details.