feat(ci): auto assignment for good first issues

.github/scripts/bot-gfi-assign-on-comment.js

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+// .github/scripts/gfi_assign_on_comment.js
+//
+// Assigns human user to Good First Issue when they comment "/assign".
+// Posts a comment if the issue is already assigned.
+// All other validation and additional GFI comments are handled by other existing bots which can be refactored with time.
+
+const GOOD_FIRST_ISSUE_LABEL = 'Good First Issue';
+const UNASSIGNED_GFI_SEARCH_URL =
+    'https://github.com/hiero-ledger/hiero-sdk-python/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20label%3A%22Good%20First%20Issue%22%20no%3Aassignee';
+
+/// HELPERS FOR ASSIGNING ///
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if /assign appears at the start of a line or comment
+ * Optionally preceded or followed by whitespace
+ */
+function commentRequestsAssignment(body) {
+    return typeof body === 'string' &&
+        /(^|\n)\s*\/assign(\s|$)/i.test(body);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if the issue has the good first issue label.
+ */
+function issueIsGoodFirstIssue(issue) {
+    return issue?.labels?.some(label => label.name === GOOD_FIRST_ISSUE_LABEL);
+}
+
+/// HELPERS FOR COMMENTING ///
+
+/**
+ * Returns a formatted @username for the current assignee of the issue.
+ */
+function getCurrentAssigneeMention(issue) {
+    const login = issue?.assignees?.[0]?.login;
+    return login ? `@${login}` : 'someone';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Builds a comment explaining that the issue is already assigned.
+ * Requester username is passed from main
+ */
+function commentAlreadyAssigned(requesterUsername, issue) {
+    return (
+        `Hi @${requesterUsername} — this issue is already assigned to ${getCurrentAssigneeMention(issue)}, so I can’t assign it again.
+
+👉 **Choose a different Good First Issue to work on next:**  
+[Browse unassigned Good First Issues](${UNASSIGNED_GFI_SEARCH_URL})
+
+Once you find one you like, comment \`/assign\` to get started.`
+    );
+}
+
+
+/// START OF SCRIPT ///
+module.exports = async ({ github, context }) => {
+    const { issue, comment } = context.payload;
+    const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
+
+    // Reject if issue, comment or comment user is missing, reject bots, or if no /assign message
+    if (
+        !issue?.number ||
+        !comment?.body ||
+        !comment?.user?.login ||
+        comment.user.type === 'Bot' ||
+        !commentRequestsAssignment(comment.body)
+    ) {
+        return;
+    }
+    // Reject if issue is not a Good First Issue
+    if (!issueIsGoodFirstIssue(issue)) return;
+
+    // Get requester username and issue number to enable comments and assignments
+    const requesterUsername = comment.user.login;
+    const issueNumber = issue.number;
+
+    // Reject if issue is already assigned
+    // Comment failure to the requester
+    if (issue.assignees?.length > 0) {
+        await github.rest.issues.createComment({
+            owner,
+            repo,
+            issue_number: issueNumber,
+            body: commentAlreadyAssigned(requesterUsername, issue),
+        });
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // All validations passed and user has requested assignment on a GFI
+    // Assign the issue to the requester
+    // Do not comment on success
+    await github.rest.issues.addAssignees({
+        owner,
+        repo,
+        issue_number: issueNumber,
+        assignees: [requesterUsername],
+    });
+};

.github/workflows/bot-gfi-assign-on-comment.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+name: GFI Assign on /assign
+
+on:
+    issue_comment:
+        types:
+            - created
+
+permissions:
+    issues: write
+    contents: read
+
+jobs:
+    gfi-assign:
+        # Only run on issue comments (not PR comments)
+        if: github.event.issue.pull_request == null
+
+        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+        # Prevent race conditions: always wait for the first assignment request to finish processing
+        concurrency:
+            group: gfi-assign-${{ github.event.issue.number }}
+            cancel-in-progress: false
+
+        steps:
+            - name: Harden runner
+              uses: step-security/harden-runner@20cf305ff2072d973412fa9b1e3a4f227bda3c76 # v2.14.0
+              with:
+                  egress-policy: audit
+
+            - name: Checkout repository
+              uses: actions/checkout@8e8c483db84b4bee98b60c0593521ed34d9990e8 # v6.0.1
+
+            - name: Run GFI /assign handler
+              uses: actions/github-script@ed597411d8f924073f98dfc5c65a23a2325f34cd #v8.0.0
+              with:
+                  script: |
+                      const script = require('./.github/scripts/bot-gfi-assign-on-comment.js');
+                      await script({ github, context });

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ This changelog is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Added
+- Enable auto assignment to good first issues (#1312)
 - Added unit test for 'endpoint.py' to increase coverage.
 - Automated assignment guard for `advanced` issues; requires completion of at least one `good first issue` and one `intermediate` issue before assignment (exempts maintainers, committers, and triage members). (#1142)
 - Added Hbar object support for TransferTransaction HBAR transfers: