f87003901d
Co-authored-by: Alex Nguyen <150945400+nguyenalex836@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Joe Clark <31087804+jc-clark@users.noreply.github.com>
68 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
68 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Programmatically importing repositories
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shortTitle: Programmatic repository imports
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intro: 'You can programmatically import repositories to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.'
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versions:
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feature: source-imports-api-deprecation
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type: tutorial
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---
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## About programmatic import of repositories
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In the following guide, you can learn how to programmatically run "source and history" migrations of Git repositories to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}. Different options are available depending on where the repository is stored.
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To learn more about "source and history" and other types of migrations, see [AUTOTITLE](/migrations/overview/planning-your-migration-to-github).
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The term "source repository" refers to the repository you're importing, and "imported repository" refers to the new repository you're creating.
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## Using forks
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If the source repository is on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, you may be able to use a fork instead of importing the repository. Forks let you make changes to a project without affecting the original repository, also known as the "upstream" repository.
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After you fork a repository, you can:
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* Fetch updates from the upstream repository to keep your fork up to date
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* Contribute back to the original project by creating pull requests from your fork
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For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/about-forks).
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You can programmatically fork a repository using the REST API. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/rest/repos/forks).
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If your use case meets any of the following criteria, you can't use forking instead of directly importing your repository.
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* You want the imported repository to be owned by the same user or organization as the source repository.
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* You want one user or organization to be able to import the same source repository multiple times.
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## Using repository templates
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If the source repository is on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, you may be able to use repository templates. {% data reusables.repositories.about-template-repositories %} For more details, see [AUTOTITLE](/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-template-repository).
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To use repository templates, you must either have read access to an existing repository that's a template, or you must have access to create a template.
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You can programmatically create a repository from a repository template using the REST API. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/rest/repos/repos).
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## Using {% data variables.product.prodname_importer_proper_name %}
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If the source repository is hosted on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %}, Azure DevOps Services, Bitbucket Server, or Bitbucket Data Center, you can import the repository using {% data variables.product.prodname_importer_proper_name %}. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/migrations/using-github-enterprise-importer/understanding-github-enterprise-importer/about-github-enterprise-importer).
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In addition to your source and version control history, {% data variables.product.prodname_importer_proper_name %} also migrates issues, pull requests, settings, and more.
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To use {% data variables.product.prodname_importer_proper_name %}, you must have admin access to the source repository.
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You can programmatically import repositories with {% data variables.product.prodname_importer_proper_name %} using the GraphQL API.
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## Using the Git CLI
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If the source repository is a Git repository, you can call the Git CLI programmatically from your code. You can programmatically create a repository using {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}'s REST API, then use commands like `git clone` and `git push` to import the repository to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.
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How you call the Git CLI differs depending on your code's language. For example, in Node.js, you can use the `child_process` module, or in Ruby, you can use the `open3` module. For more information, see [Child process](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html) in the Node.js documentation or the [ruby/open3 repository](https://github.com/ruby/open3) on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.
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To use the Git CLI, you must have access to install Git on the system that hosts your application. For more information, see [Getting Started - Installing Git](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-Installing-Git) in the Git documentation.
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## Using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}
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If the source repository is a Git repository, you can call the {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} programmatically from your code. You can use `gh repo create` to create a repository. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/github-cli/github-cli/about-github-cli).
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## Further reading
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* [AUTOTITLE](/rest/repos/repos)
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