Automate Netlify form submissions to create a GitHub PR

[FlyersPh9]

Instructions from ChatGPT:

1. Create a Netlify Serverless Function

First, you'll need to create a serverless function on Netlify that's triggered upon form submission.

1. In your Netlify site's repository, create a directory for your serverless functions, typically /netlify/functions/.
2. Within this directory, create a JavaScript file for your function, for example, createGitHubPR.js.
3. In createGitHubPR.js, you'll write code that uses the GitHub API to create a pull request with the data received from the form submission.

2. Use GitHub API to Create Pull Requests

The serverless function will use the GitHub API to create a pull request. You'll need to authenticate with GitHub and then use the API to create a new file in a repository and submit a pull request with that change.

Here is an example of how your createGitHubPR.js might look:

const axios = require('axios');
const crypto = require('crypto');

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  // Only allow POST
  if (event.httpMethod !== 'POST') {
    return { statusCode: 405, body: 'Method Not Allowed' };
  }

  const { GITHUB_TOKEN, GITHUB_REPO_OWNER, GITHUB_REPO_NAME, GITHUB_BRANCH } = process.env;
  const data = JSON.parse(event.body).payload; // Assuming the body has the form data

  const filePath = `content/submissions/${crypto.randomUUID()}.md`;
  const fileContent = Buffer.from(`---
title: ${data.title}
author: ${data.name}
---

${data.message}
`).toString('base64');

  const githubApiUrl = `https://api.github.com/repos/${GITHUB_REPO_OWNER}/${GITHUB_REPO_NAME}/contents/${filePath}`;

  try {
    // Create a new file in the repo
    await axios.put(githubApiUrl, {
      message: `New submission from ${data.name}`,
      content: fileContent,
      branch: GITHUB_BRANCH,
    }, {
      headers: {
        Authorization: `token ${GITHUB_TOKEN}`,
        'User-Agent': 'Netlify Function',
      },
    });

    return { statusCode: 200, body: 'Pull Request Created Successfully' };
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error creating pull request:', error);
    return { statusCode: 500, body: 'Internal Server Error' };
  }
};

3. Set Up Environment Variables in Netlify

In your Netlify site settings, add environment variables for GITHUB_TOKEN, GITHUB_REPO_OWNER, GITHUB_REPO_NAME, and GITHUB_BRANCH with appropriate values.

4. Update Your Netlify Form to Trigger the Serverless Function

You can use a hidden input field in your form to specify which function to trigger or configure the form handling settings in your netlify.toml file.

5. Deploy and Test

Deploy your changes to Netlify and test the form submission to ensure it triggers the serverless function and creates a pull request on GitHub as expected.

Notes

• GitHub Token: The GITHUB_TOKEN should have sufficient permissions to create files and pull requests in the specified repository. You can create a personal access token in your GitHub account settings.
• Security: Ensure your serverless function securely handles the data and correctly validates it to prevent misuse or spam submissions.
• Dependencies: If you're using external libraries like axios in your serverless function, ensure they are included in your project's dependencies.