Setup action

[tuxette]

This has been tested in MissingData and it works. However, this involves asking people using validate-ctv to propagate this commit:

d37e0dc

in their repository. In clear: if we directly push the current action in CTV, that will result in errors for all people currently using ctv-validate. So next steps will be:

1. Incorporate the changes in ctv repository (be careful to change the URL in validate-ctv.yml to reference CTV action and not action in Dirk's repository).
2. Inform users? @zeileis What do you think? Do we have a way to do it easily?
3. (only for me but I put it here to not forget) Clean the mess in MissingData repository

Unsolved questions: @zeileis ?

1. We previously had an option to turn off system settings: I guess that we remove this option?
2. Do we entirely remove the Author field?

[zeileis]

Nathalie, thanks for this. The difference between the validate-ctv/action.yml and the .github/workflows/validate-ctv.yml was (and is) not really clear to me. I was really just guessing and didn't try to read the documentation, sorry if this created extra work for you. Regarding your comments/questions:

• rocker/r2u setup: Is it not possible to enforce this in the validate-ctv/action.yml? Can it only be specified by the .yml files for the individual workflows? I'm asking because I thought that the rocker/r2u setup fulfilled a similar role as the r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2 that is now in the validate-ctv/action.yml.
• If this cannot be avoided I would simply push this into the five other repositories (or open a PR) which currently use the validate-ctv action.
• System settings: I'm not sure what this option is for exactly and when it is useful. If you think it is useful in some settings, feel free to reintroduce it.
• Author field: I had removed this because GitHub didn't allow it in the workflow .yml but apparently it is ok in the action .yml. In that case adding author: CRAN Task View Initiative would work, I think.

[tuxette]

Specifying the container in the called file (in a composite action) is not directly possible (I think). If I'm right, we can change this file using something that would look like:

runs:
  using: docker
  image: rocker/r2u:latest
  args:
    - bash
    - -c
    - |
      # --- Session info ---
      Rscript -e 'sessionInfo()'

      apt update -qq && apt install --yes --no-install-recommends pandoc

      Rscript -e '
      md <- paste0(basename(getwd()), ".md")

(etc). Ugly to my tastes but we may try this if you prefer.

[tuxette]

Well, no, forget this: That won't work because I don't see, using this setting, how to split the different checks to produce several outputs as in the original version. I'll search a bit but I'm not sure there is a better solution than specifying the container in the users' files.

[zeileis]

OK, nevermind. It's easy enough to change the workflow in the cran-task-views directories.

And just out of curiosity: What does the r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2 do in addition to the rocker/r2u container?

[tuxette]

I must remove it (or at least try). It just sets a few environment variables. I don't think we need it and I thought I had already removed it (I wanted to... I must have forgotten). I'll take care of this in a couple of minutes or hours.

[tuxette]

r-lib/actions/setup-r@v2 removed in commit 7f1b79d

[tuxette]

Author added in commit 86f9112

[tuxette]

@zeileis : For me, the lost option is not very important so we can proceed with the rest. I'll push the necessary changes in a distinct branch of CTV and will let you merge it. When it's done, I'll take care of MissingData (so you only have four pull requests to make ;-)).

[zeileis]

Great, thanks. Regarding the number of repositories: I counted on you making the changes in MissingData and Omics. And then I will take care of the other five 😅

[zeileis]

OK, I've merged the action in the ctv repository and posted PRs in all official task views using the action (see below). I'll also merge the action here.

• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/CausalInference#33
• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/Hydrology#186
• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/MissingData#51
• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/NetworkAnalysis#19
• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/Paleontology#9
• switch to new rocker/r2u-based validate-ctv GHA with improved perform… cran-task-views/Phylogenetics#35
• updated validate-ctv GHA with improved performance cran-task-views/WebTechnologies#545