Understanding the "pending review" status in GitHub pull requests is crucial for both project maintainers and contributors. This guide will break down what "pending review" means, how it fits into the GitHub code review process, and how Graphite's PR inbox can enhance this workflow.
What does "pending review" mean in GitHub?
In GitHub, a pull request (PR) marked as "pending review" indicates that the changes submitted have not yet been reviewed by other collaborators. This status is a part of the code review process, which aims to improve code quality and ensure consistency across the project.
When a developer submits a PR, it enters a workflow where other team members or designated reviewers can examine the changes. The PR remains in a "pending review" state until it receives feedback. Reviewers can either approve the changes, request further modifications (using the "request changes" option), or simply leave comments without a formal review status.
Example scenario
Imagine you're working on a new feature and submit a PR in GitHub. You mark three team members as reviewers. The PR dashboard shows that your submission is in a "pending review" state. One reviewer requests changes due to a bug in the logic. You address the comments and re-submit the PR. It's now back to "pending review," awaiting re-approval or further comments from the team.
Key features of the review process
- GitHub PR view: This is the interface where you can see all the details of a PR, including files changed, commits, and comments.
- GitHub pull request number of reviewers: You can specify how many reviewers must approve a PR before it can be merged.
- GitHub review without pull request: Occasionally, code is reviewed informally in discussions without a formal PR. This can occur in smaller teams or on less critical changes.
- GitHub PR request changes: If a reviewer finds issues that need addressing, they can use this option to formally request changes, which resets the review status and notifies the author to update the PR.
Managing reviews
Handling reviews effectively involves navigating various comments and statuses:
- GitHub PR pending comment: These are draft review comments that are only visible to the reviewer until they click "Finish review" to submit them to the PR author.
- GitHub find PR by reviewer: You can find PRs by reviewer using GitHub's search function with the syntax
is:pr review-requested:[username]oris:pr reviewed-by:[username]. Alternatively, Graphite provides built-in filtering capabilities that make this process more straightforward.
Graphite's PR inbox
Graphite enhances the GitHub review process through its PR inbox feature, which helps manage and prioritize review requests. It allows users to track the status of PRs on GitHub more effectively, including those marked as "pending review." Graphite's inbox can alert users when a PR is awaiting their review to help streamline the process and reduce the time PRs remain in a pending state.
Summary
The "pending review" status in GitHub is a part of the development process, which helps ensure that all code is vetted before integration. Plus, with tools like Graphite's PR inbox, teams can manage their code review workflows more efficiently, keeping projects moving forward with high-quality standards.