Understanding the status of a pull request (PR) is important for managing your software development workflow efficiently. This guide will help you identify and manage the different statuses of PRs on GitHub, using Graphite's PR inbox for enhanced visibility and organization.
What is a pull request?
A pull request in GitHub is a method used by developers to notify team members that changes they've made to the code in a branch are ready for review, and potentially to be merged into the main branch. PR statuses are a quick way to see where things stand in the code review process.
Key pull request statuses
- Open: The initial status of a PR when it has been created but not yet reviewed or merged. This status indicates that the PR is actively looking for feedback or approval from other developers.
- Closed: This status means the PR has been terminated without being merged. This can happen if the proposed changes are no longer needed or if a different solution has been implemented.
- Merged: Indicates that the PR has been successfully merged into the target branch, and the changes are now part of the main codebase.
How to check the status of a pull request in GitHub
To check the status of a pull request in GitHub:
- Navigate to the repository where the pull request was made.
- Click on 'Pull Requests' at the top of the repository page.
- You can see a list of pull requests along with their status—open, closed, or merged.
Using Graphite's PR inbox to manage pull request statuses
Graphite's PR inbox helps you stay organized and view which PRs need your attention. Here's how it enhances the management of pull request statuses:
Organization: Graphite creates default sections like 'Needs your review', 'Approved', 'Returned to you', 'Merging and recently merged', and 'Waiting for review'. This organization makes it easier to focus on PRs that require your immediate attention.
Customization: You can add new sections with custom filters depending on what you need to focus on. For instance, you might want a section specifically for PRs that are over a week old but haven't been reviewed yet.
Sharing filters: You can share your configured filters with teammates to ensure everyone is aligned on what to review next. This feature is particularly useful in maintaining consistent review processes across teams.
Search capability: The PR inbox allows you to search across your synced repositories for specific PRs using fuzzy search, which can include PR title, description, author, and more.
Sample workflow: Tracking pull request status
Consider a scenario where you are using GitHub and Graphite to manage a software project:
- You open a pull request with some new features and mark it as "open".
- Your teammates review the PR, provide comments, and eventually approve it.
- You use Graphite’s PR inbox to filter out PRs that have been approved but not yet merged. This allows you to quickly find and merge your open PR, changing its status to "merged".
This simple flow demonstrates how effective management of PR statuses, facilitated by tools like GitHub and Graphite, can streamline your development process.
By leveraging GitHub to monitor pull request statuses and Graphite’s PR inbox for better organization and visibility, teams can enhance their software development workflows, ensuring that no pull request gets left behind.