Reviewing pull requests before merging

When working with GitHub, it’s important to test and review pull requests (PRs) before merging to maintain the quality and functionality of the software. This guide will walk you through the process of fetching, testing, and reviewing PRs using GitHub and Graphite's PR inbox for a smooth and error-free integration of new code changes into the main branch.

Fetching the pull request

Before you can review or test a PR, you need to fetch it from GitHub. This can be done using the PR checkout feature.

1. Navigate to the PR on GitHub: Go to the PR page on the repository.
2. Use the command in your terminal: This typically involves commands like git fetch origin pull/ID/head:BRANCHNAME followed by git checkout BRANCHNAME, where ID is the pull request ID and BRANCHNAME is a local branch name you assign.

Reviewing the pull request locally

After fetching the PR, the next step is reviewing the changes locally:

1. Build the project: Ensure the project builds correctly with the new changes. This is your first check against integration issues.
2. Run tests: Execute any automated tests the project has. If the project lacks tests, consider adding some to verify the functionality affected by the PR.
3. Manual testing: Go beyond automated tests by manually testing the software. This helps catch issues that automated tests may miss.
4. Code review: Examine the code changes in your preferred code editor or IDE. Look for code quality, adherence to coding standards, and any potential bugs.

Using Graphite's PR inbox for organized reviews

Graphite's PR inbox acts as a centralized hub for your PRs, helping you stay organized:

• Access the PR inbox: Log into your Graphite account and navigate to the PR inbox.
• Custom sections and filters: Utilize Graphite's customizable sections to filter and sort PRs based on their status, such as Needs your review, Approved, or Waiting for review.
• Review and comment directly: Use Graphite's interface to leave inline comments, suggest code changes, and approve or request changes on PRs. The interface provides quick access to diffs and review history.

Best practices for effective PR reviews

• Small, focused changes: Encourage small, focused PRs that are easier to test and review.
• Documentation: Ensure all changes are properly documented, especially if they introduce new functionality or modify existing behavior.
• Continuous integration (CI) checks: Utilize CI tools to automatically build and test PRs before they are reviewed manually. This saves time and ensures basic checks pass.

Summary

Properly testing and reviewing pull requests before merging is important for maintaining high code quality and software stability. By leveraging tools like Github's CLI commands and Graphite's PR inbox for managing reviews, you can simplify the review process and ensure that each change is thoroughly vetted before it makes its way into the main codebase.