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Re-import projects in project importers

Release notes

Previously, it was not possible to import projects from external providers more than once. You couldn't import a project that you had access to, if that project had already been imported to GitLab by you or another user.

Now you can import projects from external providers many times using different target paths. The re-imported project doesn't override or merge with previously imported project.

External providers include GitHub, Bitbucket Cloud, Bitbucket Server, FogBugz and Gitea.

Summary

Currently it is not possible to import a project using any importer more than once. A user can import a project only once, they cannot re-import it.

Screen_Shot_2022-12-12_at_22.24.49

Additionally, a user cannot import a project (that they have access to) if it had already been imported to GitLab by another user. In other words, once a project has been imported, all other users are blocked from repeating the import.

In other importers, for example when migrating GitLab groups by direct transfer (GitLab Migration) users can re-import the same group under different target path, users can also import a project multiple times by uploading an export file.

Proposed solution

A user should be able to import a project several times using different target paths, in other words to re-import project. Different users should be able to import to GitLab the same project, if they have access to it.

The re-imported project doesn't override or merge with previously imported project.

See this importer for how it should look like:

Screen_Shot_2022-12-12_at_22.24.33

  • If a GitHub project has been previously imported by the current user, in column "From GitHub", under the GitHub project path, show "Last imported to [path of the previously imported project on GitLab, with anchor]
  • Instead of "Go to project" button, show "Re-import" button
  • Next to "Re-import" button show info tooltip with text: "Re-import creates a new project. It does not override or sync with the existing project".

Checklist

  • Possible in UI and via API
  • Documentation updated

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Edited by Magdalena Frankiewicz