## Problem
The issue-lifecycle stale rule checked labels with case-sensitive
`Array.includes()`, so an issue carrying the `Stale` label (created by
the `actions/stale` PR bot) was never recognized as stale.
`hasStaleLabel` stayed `false` and the bot re-posted the 7-day warning
on **every** daily cron run.
Example: [#3441](https://github.com/openfrontio/OpenFrontIO/issues/3441)
got the same "hasn't had activity in 7 days" comment ~16 days in a row.
## Fix
GitHub label names are case-insensitive (you can't have both `Stale` and
`stale`), so the gate should be too. Adds a `hasLabel()` helper in
`github.ts` and routes all label checks through it (`STALE`,
`KEEP_OPEN`, `APPROVED`, `NOT_APPROVED`).
Now an issue gets one stale warning when marked, then silence until the
14-day close.
## Note
The Dependabot PR-exemption change (`pr-stale.yml`) is being applied
separately — the CI token here lacks `workflow` scope to push
workflow-file changes.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
## Description:
# Issue Lifecycle Actions
Adds two GitHub Actions workflows that enforce OpenFront's
issue-lifecycle invariants. No LLM calls — only the default
`GITHUB_TOKEN`. Layer B (Claude-powered triage) will build on this
foundation.
## Summary
- **Stale closer** — daily cron. Unmilestoned issues get warned at 5
days of inactivity, auto-closed at 10. Exempt: milestoned or
`keep-open`. Bot comments don't reset the timer.
- **Assignment invariant** — event + cron backstop. You cannot assign
anyone to an unmilestoned issue. Violators are unassigned automatically
with an explanatory comment.
- **Approval label sync** — event + cron backstop. The `not-approved`
(red) and `approved` (green) labels are derived from milestone state.
These labels are *only* ever touched by this Action.
## Rollout
Both workflows ship gated by `vars.ISSUE_LIFECYCLE_DRY_RUN` (defaults to
`'true'`). They log decisions but do not mutate anything until the
maintainer flips that variable in **Settings → Variables**.
Suggested rollout:
1. Merge with dry-run on.
2. Watch the cron logs for ~1 week. Verify the action list matches
expectations.
3. Flip `ISSUE_LIFECYCLE_DRY_RUN=false` to go live.
## File layout
```
.github/workflows/
issue-lifecycle-cron.yml # daily 06:00 UTC + workflow_dispatch
issue-lifecycle-events.yml # issues: [opened, assigned, milestoned, demilestoned]
scripts/issue-lifecycle/
config.ts # labels, colors, thresholds, comment templates
github.ts # Octokit wrapper, Action applier, label idempotent-creation
rules/
approval-label-sync.ts # pure function — idempotent
assignment-invariant.ts # pure function
stale-closer.ts # async — reads comment history, filters bots
cron.ts # daily sweep orchestrator
events.ts # event-mode dispatcher
index.ts # entrypoint, CLI arg parser
README.md
```
Structure mirrors `scripts/pr-gate/` from Unit 2 — same Octokit/Action
patterns, same dry-run convention.
## Self-installing labels
On every run, the Action ensures the six labels exist (`not-approved`,
`approved`, `stale`, `keep-open`, `needs-info`, `auto-closed-stale`)
with the correct colors and descriptions. No manual setup required.
## Local testing
```bash
cd scripts/issue-lifecycle
npm install
export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_...
# Full cron sweep, dry-run (default for CLI):
npx tsx index.ts --mode cron
# Simulate an event:
EVENT_NAME=assigned npx tsx index.ts --mode event --issue 1234
```
CLI invocations are dry-run unless `--no-dry-run` is passed explicitly.
## Please complete the following:
- [x] I have added screenshots for all UI updates
- [x] I process any text displayed to the user through translateText()
and I've added it to the en.json file
- [x] I have added relevant tests to the test directory
## Please put your Discord username so you can be contacted if a bug or
regression is found:
evan
Evan