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Merge/Pull requests

Recall that incorporating the changes from one branch into another branch is referred to as a "merge". You can merge one branch into another branch by taking the following steps:

  1. Checking out the branch you want to merge the changes into:

    git checkout -b my-branch

  2. Merging the changes from the other branch:

    git merge other-branch

Tip

It's a good idea to review these changes before you merge them.

If possible, it's even better to have someone else review the changes.

You can use git diff to view differences between branches. However, platforms such as GitHub and GitLab offer an easier approach: "pull requests" (also called "merge requests").

Creating a pull request on GitHub

The steps required to create a pull request differ depending on which platform you are using. Here, we will describe how to create a pull request on GitHub. For further details, see the GitHub documentation.

  • Open the main page of your GitHub repository.

  • In the "Branch" menu, select the branch that contains the changes you want to merge.

  • Open the "Contribute" menu. This should be located on the right-hand side, above the list of files.

  • Click the "Open pull request" button.

  • In the "base" menu, select the branch you want to merge the changes into.

  • Enter a descriptive title for the pull request.

  • In the message editor, write a summary of the changes in this branch, and identify specific questions or objectives that you want the reviewer to address.

  • Select potential reviewers by clicking on the "Reviewers" link in the right-hand sidebar.

  • Click the "Create pull request" button.

Once the pull request has been created, the reviewer(s) can review your changes and discuss their feedback and suggestions with you.

Merging a pull request on GitHub

When the pull request has been reviewed to your satisfaction, you can merge these changes by clicking the "Merge pull request" button.

Info

If the pull request has merge conflicts (e.g., if the branch you're merging into contains new commits), you will need to resolve these conflicts.

For further details about merging pull requests on GitHub, see the GitHub documentation.