How to checkout and review a pull request locally

Reviewing pull requests locally allows developers to run tests, check for integration issues, and evaluate code in their own development environment. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of checking out and reviewing pull requests locally using Git commands and the Graphite CLI, with examples and best practices.

Prerequisites

• Git installed on your machine.
• Graphite CLI installed. For installation, use the command:

brew install withgraphite/tap/graphite
gt --version

Checking out a pull request locally using Git

1. Fetch the pull request: Use Git to fetch the pull request you want to review. If you know the pull request number, you can fetch it directly:

   Terminal

   git fetch origin pull/ID/head:BRANCHNAME
   
   

   Replace ID with the pull request number and BRANCHNAME with the name you want to assign to the new branch.

2. Checkout the branch: After fetching the pull request, check it out like any other branch:

   Terminal

   git checkout BRANCHNAME
   
   

Checking out pull requests using Graphite CLI

Graphite CLI simplifies managing stacks of changes, which includes checking out pull requests.

Checkout the pull request: Use the Graphite CLI to checkout the pull request directly:

gt checkout PR_BRANCH_NAME

Replace PR_BRANCH_NAME with the name of the branch associated with the pull request.

Review the pull request

After checking out the pull request, you can start your review process:

1. Run local tests: Ensure that the changes pass all local tests.

2. Code review: Go through the code changes. Look for any code smells, styling errors, or potential bugs that might have been overlooked.

3. Use Graphite's features: If the pull request is part of a stack, you might find it useful to navigate through the stack using:

   Terminal

   gt log
   
   

   This command shows you the stack of changes and allows easy navigation using gt up or gt down.

Submitting feedback

Once you're done with your review:

1. Commit any changes: If you make any changes during your review, commit them:

   Terminal

   git commit -am "Review adjustments"
   
   

2. Push your changes: If you're collaborating on a fork or a shared repository, push your adjustments:

   Terminal

   git push origin BRANCHNAME
   
   

3. Leave feedback on GitHub: Post your comments and approval or request changes directly on the GitHub pull request page.

Or you can do this with Graphite:

1. Once you’ve made your changes and are ready to git add && git commit, you can run:

  gt modify

Your changes will be amended to the existing commit.

2. Now that you’ve committed your changes, you can push them up:

gt submit

Summary

Checking out and reviewing pull requests locally is an essential skill for developers. Using Git and Graphite CLI can simplify the process, making it easier to manage changes and ensure high code quality. Remember to utilize Graphite's capabilities for managing stacks, which can simplify navigating complex changes.