How to understand what a pull request is?

 

Step 1: Understand the Concept of a Pull Request

 

A pull request (PR) is a mechanism for proposing, discussing, and collaborating on code changes in a Git repository hosted on GitHub. It allows contributors to submit changes, reviewers to provide feedback, and maintainers to merge the proposed changes into the main codebase.

• A PR bundles commits on a branch for review.
• Reviewers can comment on individual lines or on the overall change.
• Maintainers decide whether to merge, request changes, or close the PR.

 

Step 2: Prepare Your Local Environment

 

Before creating a pull request, you need a local copy of the repository:

# Clone the repository to your machine
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git

# Change into the project directory
cd repository

• Replace username and repository with the actual GitHub account and repo name.
• You’ll need Git installed and configured with your GitHub credentials.

 

Step 3: Create and Switch to a New Branch

 

Working on a separate branch keeps your changes isolated from the main branch:

# Create and switch to a new feature branch
git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature

• Branch names usually describe the work, e.g., feature/login-form or bugfix/navbar-alignment.

 

Step 4: Make Changes and Commit Locally

 

Edit files in your favorite code editor. Once you’re satisfied, stage and commit your changes:

# Stage one file
git add path/to/file.ext

# Or stage all changed files
git add .

# Commit with a descriptive message
git commit -m "Add user authentication flow"

• Write clear commit messages: what was changed and why.
• Run tests or linters locally to catch errors early.

 

Step 5: Push Your Branch to GitHub

 

Send your branch to the remote repository so you can open a pull request:

# Push the branch and set upstream
git push -u origin feature/my-new-feature

• The -u flag links your local branch to the remote branch.
• On subsequent pushes, you can run git push without extra flags.

 

Step 6: Open the Pull Request on GitHub

 

1. Navigate to your repository page on GitHub.
2. You’ll see a prompt to compare & pull request. Click it.
3. Fill in the PR title and description, explaining the purpose and key changes.
4. Select the correct base branch (often main or develop) and your feature branch.

• Use templates if the project provides one (e.g., bug report, feature request).
• Link related issues by typing # and the issue number.

 

Step 7: Collaborate and Review

 

After opening the PR:

• Reviewers will comment on the code; respond to feedback by committing further changes.
• Push additional commits to the same branch to update the PR automatically.
• Use GitHub’s conversation tab to answer questions and clarify decisions.

 

Step 8: Merge the Pull Request

 

Once everyone approves:

# You can merge via GitHub’s web interface:
# - Click “Merge pull request”
# - Choose “Squash and merge” or “Create a merge commit” as per the project’s guidelines
# - Confirm the merge

• Deleting the feature branch after merging keeps the repo clean.
• If you don’t have merge rights, a maintainer will handle it.

 

Step 9: Clean Up Your Local Environment

 

After merging, delete the branch locally and update your main branch:

# Switch to main branch
git checkout main

# Pull the latest changes
git pull origin main

# Delete the feature branch locally
git branch -d feature/my-new-feature

• You can also delete the remote branch if needed: git push origin --delete feature/my-new-feature.

 

You’ve now understood and executed a complete pull request workflow on GitHub!