TechDocs: git feedback buttons not appearing automatically

Expected Behavior

A while ago, we automatically saw the feedback buttons appear for all TechDocs sites. However, now they don’t show automatically.

Actual Behavior

The feedback buttons are gone. However, when you add a repo_url entry in mkdocs.yml, they are back.

Stepping through the code using breakpoints, I found that the getRepoUrlFromLocationAnnotation helper function only adds the repo_url OR edit_uri properties. It seems that to show the feedback buttons both properties are necessary (?).

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have a TechDocs repository without repo_url and edit_uri properties
2. Generate TechDocs
3. Feedback buttons are missing
4. Add repo_url property
5. Feedback buttons are shown

Context

This is the catalog-info.yaml content used fo the component:

apiVersion: backstage.io/v1alpha1
kind: Component
metadata:
  name: developer-docs
  annotations:
    alliander.com/product-owner: [e-mail]
    backstage.io/techdocs-ref: dir:.
spec:
  type: documentation
  lifecycle: experimental

This is the mkdocs.yml:

site_name: "Developer Docs"

# repo_url: https://github.com/our-org/developer-docs <= buttons are shown when this line is added

nav:
  - Welkom: index.md
  - Help mee: help-mee.md
  .... more entries

plugins:
  - techdocs-core

Your Environment

• Browser Information:

• Output of yarn backstage-cli info:

OS:   Windows_NT 10.0.19044 - win32/x64
node: v14.17.6
yarn: 1.22.11
cli:  0.17.0 (installed)

Dependencies:
  @backstage/app-defaults                               1.0.1
  @backstage/backend-common                             0.13.2
  @backstage/backend-tasks                              0.3.0
  @backstage/catalog-client                             0.9.0, 1.0.1
  @backstage/catalog-model                              0.13.0, 1.0.1
  @backstage/cli-common                                 0.1.8
  @backstage/cli                                        0.17.0
  @backstage/config-loader                              1.1.0
  @backstage/config                                     0.1.15, 1.0.0
  @backstage/core-app-api                               1.0.1
  @backstage/core-components                            0.9.3
  @backstage/core-plugin-api                            0.8.0, 1.0.1
  @backstage/dev-utils                                  1.0.1
  @backstage/errors                                     0.2.2, 1.0.0
  @backstage/integration-react                          1.0.1
  @backstage/integration                                0.8.0, 1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-api-docs                            0.8.4
  @backstage/plugin-app-backend                         0.3.31
  @backstage/plugin-auth-backend                        0.13.0
  @backstage/plugin-auth-node                           0.2.0
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend-module-github       0.1.2
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend                     1.1.1
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-common                      1.0.1
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-graph                       0.2.16
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-graphql                     0.3.8
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-import                      0.8.7
  @backstage/plugin-catalog-react                       0.9.0, 1.0.1
  @backstage/plugin-catalog                             1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-explore-react                       0.0.16
  @backstage/plugin-explore                             0.3.35
  @backstage/plugin-github-actions                      0.5.4
  @backstage/plugin-graphql-backend                     0.1.21
  @backstage/plugin-home                                0.4.20
  @backstage/plugin-org                                 0.5.4
  @backstage/plugin-permission-common                   0.5.3, 0.6.0
  @backstage/plugin-permission-node                     0.6.0
  @backstage/plugin-permission-react                    0.3.4, 0.4.0
  @backstage/plugin-proxy-backend                       0.2.25
  @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend                  1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-common                   1.0.1
  @backstage/plugin-scaffolder                          1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-search-backend-module-pg            0.3.2
  @backstage/plugin-search-backend-node                 0.6.0
  @backstage/plugin-search-backend                      0.5.1
  @backstage/plugin-search-common                       0.3.3
  @backstage/plugin-search-react                        0.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-search                              0.8.0
  @backstage/plugin-sonarqube                           0.3.4
  @backstage/plugin-stack-overflow                      0.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-tech-insights-backend-module-jsonfc 0.1.15
  @backstage/plugin-tech-insights-backend               0.3.0
  @backstage/plugin-tech-insights-common                0.2.4
  @backstage/plugin-tech-insights-node                  0.2.9
  @backstage/plugin-tech-radar                          0.5.11
  @backstage/plugin-techdocs-backend                    1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node                       0.11.12, 1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-techdocs-react                      0.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-techdocs                            1.1.0
  @backstage/plugin-user-settings                       0.4.3
  @backstage/release-manifests                          0.0.2
  @backstage/search-common                              0.3.3
  @backstage/test-utils                                 1.0.1
  @backstage/theme                                      0.2.15
  @backstage/types                                      0.1.3, 1.0.0
  @backstage/version-bridge                             0.1.2, 1.0.1

[leon-vg]

It looks like the edit button is back. The feedback button is not there, but has been replaced with the option for feedback when selecting a portion of text, right?

Closing this issue. Thanks for fixing this!

[iamEAP]

Seems to work fine for our purposes, setting both repo_url and edit_uri. getRepoUrlFromLocationAnnotation seems to only be called from mkDocsPatchers, so it seems like a safe change, unless I’m missing some context. I could get a PR opened quickly if that’s the case.

Hey @dhhuynh2, I don’t see any issue with what you’ve proposed. Would love a PR, if you’re able to contribute that back!