github-cli-data-retrieval

name	GitHub CLI Data Retrieval
description	Used to query, filter, and extract metadata from GitHub PRs and Issues using the `gh` command line tool with appropriate search qualifiers and pagination limits.

To retrieve data from GitHub using the gh CLI, follow these standards:

1. Broaden Scope: Always use the -s all flag (or state:all) to ensure the command retrieves merged, closed, and open items.
2. Apply Search Qualifiers: Use the -S flag with the search query created:2024-12-01..2024-12-31. Do not use date ranges that exceed the repository activity window.
3. Lift Limits: Explicitly set the --limit flag to a high value (e.g., --limit 1000) to avoid the default truncation of results, which causes inaccurate counts.
4. Select Fields Carefully: When using --json, always verify the object path. For user names, use author.login. For dates, use createdAt, mergedAt, and closedAt to ensure accurate time calculations.
5. JSON Formatting: Rely on jq to process raw JSON output from gh. Ensure all calculations (averages, counts) handle empty arrays by providing default values (e.g., 0) to prevent null-pointer or syntax errors in the final output file.