Why?

Because I was sick of always deleting the default labels and uploading my own ones.

How?

By storing custom labels in a labels.json file, deleting the default ones from the repository and uploading those from said file.

Installation

npm install --global labeler

Usage

NAME
    labeler - Label manager for GitHub repositories.

SYNOPSIS
    labeler [OPTIONS]

DESCRIPTION
    Create custom labels on GitHub repositories automatically.
    This CLI helps you organize your GitHub labels by storing them in a 'labels.json' file. You can add new labels through the CLI with the -n flag.
    Whenever you create a new repository, instead of manually uploading your labels, use this CLI to have it done automatically!

OPTIONS
    -b, --bulkUpdate
        Update all repositories under GHE owner organization. Can only be used with a GitHub Enterprise host.

    -c, --config
        Launch interactive CLI to store data into config. Storing empty strings removes data from config.

    -d, --deleteAllLabels
        Delete all existing labels in repository.

    -e, --emptyLabelsFile
        Remove every label from the 'labels.json' file.
    
    -f, --force
        Ignore user confirmation.

    -h, --help
        Display this help page.
    
    -H, --host [HOST]
        Specify host. If not specified uses values in config, else ignores config.

    -n, --newLabel
        Launch interactive CLI to store new labels in the 'labels.json' file.

    -o, --owner [OWNER]
        Specify owner of repository. If not specified uses values in config, else ignores config.

    -p, --path
        Return the path for 'labels.json' file.

    -r, --repository [REPOSITORY]
        Specify GitHub repository name. If not specified uses values in config, else ignores config.

    -R, --resetLabelsFile
        Reset 'labels.json' by overwriting 'labels.json' with the default labels.

    -t, --token [TOKEN]
        Specify personal access token. If not specified uses values in config, else ignores config.

    -u, --uploadLabels
        Upload custom labels to repository. Skips already existing labels.

EXAMPLES
    Delete all labels from the repository and upload custom ones stored under 'labels.json' to the repository:
        labeler -dur Labeler

    Same as above but without the confirmation questions:
        labeler -fdur Labeler

    Delete every label from 'labels.json' and add new labels to it:
        labeler -en

    Using GitHub Enterprise hosts:
        labeler -dur Labeler -H github.yourhost.com
    
    Delete and upload all labels from a GHE organization:
        labeler -dub -H github.yourhost.com

I've tried my best to create a tool for everyone! If you prefer using flags, feel free to run labeler -t [TOKEN] -o [OWNER] -r [REPOSITORY] -du. If you fancy writing less, run labeler -c and save your values. Those will be your default ones (unless overridden by a flag).

labeler comes with some predefined labels, but you can of course use your own. By running labeler -en, you'll start a fresh new file. The path to the file will be in the terminal, in case you prefer to open and edit it with your editor of choice.

Commands

labeler -c

Interactive CLI for the config. Most likely the first command to run. I recommend setting the token and the owner, as they rarely change usually. If you want to remove an entry, simply enter nothing when asked.

• token: Personal GitHub Access Token. Create one called "Labeler" here with the following permissions: repo and admin:org.
• owner: Also known as the username. In my case it's Zebiano for example.
• repository: Name of the repository. As an example, this repo would be labeler. It is not recommended to set this setting as it may cause non-intentional deletions of labels.
• host: Custom host, useful for GitHub Enterprise Instances. For example github.yourhost.com.

In case you need to access a repository from another owner, simply run the -o [OWNER] flag and the one stored in the config will be ignored.

labeler -n

An interactive CLI to help you add new Labels to the labels.json file. You'll be asked wether you want to start a new file, or add labels to the already existing one. It also shows the path.

• name: Name of label.
  • Example: Bug :beetle:
• description: (Optional) Description of label.
  • Example: This is a bug.
• color: Hex color of label.
  • Example: FC271E

Alternatively, run labeler -en. This way, every label inside the labels.json file will be removed first.

Note: Running labeler -fn will bypass the question, which defaults to "keep file as is".

labeler -fdur [REPOSITORY]

A very specific example, yet the one I think will be the most used. It's assumed that token and owner are set in the config!

• -f: Ignore user confirmation
• -d: Delete all labels from repository
• -u: Upload custom labels to repository
• -r: Specify the repository

Example: labeler -fdur Labeler

labeler -H [HOST]

In case you're using a custom host (for example a GitHub Enterprise host), use this flag to specify it. You may as well save the host in the config.

Example: labeler -fdur Labeler -H github.yourhost.com

labels.json

This is the file where all your custom labels are stored. Feel free to edit it. Run labeler -p to get the path. Just keep in mind it has to have the following structure:

{
    "labels": [
        {
            "name": "Label name",
            "color": "FC271E",
            "description": "Label Description."
        },
        ...
    ]
}