docs(dependabot): improve skill clarity based on real-world usage v1.2.0

[vnz]

Summary

• Improvements to the dependabot skill based on real-world usage observations

Changes

Output Capture Clarity

• Added 2>&1 to the command example
• Documented that the CLI mixes stderr (log messages) and stdout (JSON), which can make piping to grep tricky

No Updates Detection

• Made the "how to know if there are updates" section more prominent
• Added clear ✅/❌ indicators for interpreting results
• Emphasized that mark_as_processed without create_pull_request = no updates

Branch Handling

• Added command to delete existing branch before creating (for re-runs)
• Uses 2>/dev/null || true to silently handle non-existent branch case

--local Flag Clarification

• Expanded explanation that --local . prevents GitHub cloning (not a "dry-run" mode)

Test plan

• Review documentation changes for accuracy
• Verify skill still works correctly with changes

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @vnz, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request enhances the documentation for the Dependabot skill, providing improved clarity and practical guidance based on observed real-world usage. The changes aim to make it easier for users to understand the Dependabot CLI's output, correctly identify available updates, manage branches for re-runs, and properly interpret command-line flags, ultimately improving the skill's usability.

Highlights

• Output Capture Clarity: The dependabot update command example now includes 2>&1 to ensure both standard output (JSON) and standard error (log messages) are captured, addressing the CLI's behavior of mixing them. The documentation also explicitly notes this behavior.
• No Updates Detection: The documentation provides clearer guidance on how to interpret Dependabot CLI output to determine if updates are available, using explicit ✅/❌ indicators and emphasizing that only mark_as_processed events signify no updates.
• Branch Handling for Re-runs: A new git branch -D command has been added to the branch creation instructions, allowing for the deletion of existing branches before creating a new one, with silent error handling for non-existent branches using 2>/dev/null || true.
• --local Flag Clarification: The explanation for the --local . flag has been expanded to clarify that it directs Dependabot to use the local filesystem as the source, preventing GitHub cloning, and is not a 'dry-run' mode.
• Version Update: The Dependabot skill version has been incremented from 1.1.0 to 1.2.0 in both the marketplace and plugin configuration files.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request improves the documentation for the dependabot skill, enhancing clarity based on real-world usage. The changes, such as adding 2>&1 to commands, clarifying the --local flag, and improving branch handling for re-runs, are valuable. I've suggested a small improvement to the branch creation logic to make it even more robust by ensuring it always branches from the repository's default branch and by using a more concise git command.

[gemini-code-assist]

To make the script more robust for re-runs, it's best to first switch to the repository's default branch. This ensures the new branch is always created from the correct base, preventing branching from another feature branch. Additionally, you can simplify the branch creation logic. Using git checkout -B <branch> will create the branch if it doesn't exist, or reset it to the current HEAD if it does. This is more concise than deleting and then creating it.

Suggested change

	# If branch already exists from a previous run, delete it first:
	git branch -D dependabot/<ecosystem>-updates 2>/dev/null || true
	git checkout -b dependabot/<ecosystem>-updates
	# Switch to default branch and create/reset the feature branch
	DEFAULT_BRANCH=$(gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef --jq .defaultBranchRef.name)
	git checkout "$DEFAULT_BRANCH"
	git checkout -B dependabot/<ecosystem>-updates