Pull Request

A Pull Request is a request to integrate changes into a project hosted in a version control system (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket). With it, a developer asks the repository owners to review, discuss, and—upon approval—merge their changes into the main code branch.

What is a Pull Request

A Pull Request (literally, a “request to pull changes”) is a mechanism used in collaborative development to control code quality. A developer creates a separate branch, makes changes to it, and then uses a Pull Request to propose merging those changes with the main project branch (usually main or develop).

Simply put: A Pull Request is an “application” to add your code to the shared project, which other developers must review and approve.

How a Pull Request Works

The typical Pull Request creation process looks like this:

1. Create a new branch from the main branch (main, develop).
   Example: git checkout -b feature/add-login-form
2. Make changes — add files, modifications, tests.
3. Commit changes and push to the remote repository:
   git add .
   git commit -m “Added login form”
   git push origin feature/add-login-form
4. Create a Pull Request in the system (e.g., GitHub). Specify:
   • Source branch — where the changes are located.
   • Target branch — where the code should be merged.
   • Description — what was changed and why.
5. Code review. Other developers or a team lead check:
   • Logic correctness.
   • Compliance with coding standards.
   • Presence of tests.
   • Impact on existing functionality.
6. Revisions and comments. If there are remarks, the author makes corrections and updates the PR.
7. Merge. After approval, changes are merged into the main branch. The PR is closed, and the additional branch can be deleted.

Example: Creating a Pull Request on GitHub

• Go to the Pull requests tab → New Pull Request.
• Select the branch with changes (compare) and the target branch (base).
• Add a title and description (what, why, and which tasks it solves).
• Assign reviewers.
• Submit the PR for review.

After that, other participants can comment on code lines, leave feedback, and give approval (approve).

Structure of a Good Pull Request

A well-formatted PR should contain:

• Clear title. Example: Added Google OAuth authorization.
• Task description. What exactly was done and why.
• Context. Link to the related task (Jira, Trello, etc.) or the issue being solved.
• Testing instructions. How to test changes locally.
• Changes in dependencies. If libraries were added or configuration updated.

Advantages of Pull Requests

• Code quality control. All changes undergo review by other developers.
• Team transparency. Everyone sees which features and bug fixes are in progress.
• Change history tracking. The PR is saved in the repository history along with comments and task links.
• Early conflict detection. Conflicts between branches can be seen and resolved before merging.
• Learning and knowledge sharing. Code review helps newcomers adopt best practices from experienced colleagues.

Types of Pull Requests

Pull Request Best Practices

• Keep PRs small and specific — easier to review.
• Write informative descriptions (what and why was changed).
• Include the task or issue number.
• Add tests for new features.
• Assign reviewers — at least two for major changes.
• Before creating a PR — sync the branch with main (git pull origin main).

Pull Request vs. Merge Request

GitLab uses the term Merge Request, but essentially it’s the same as a Pull Request in GitHub. The difference is only in terminology:

Typical Workflow with PR

text

main  ←  develop  ←  feature/add-login

↑

Pull Request → Code Review → Merge → Deploy

1. Branch feature/add-login is created.
2. Code is written.
3. A Pull Request is created to the develop branch.
4. After review and testing, the PR is merged.
5. Changes then go to main and are deployed.

Tools for Working with Pull Requests

• GitHub / GitLab / Bitbucket — main platforms.
• Git CLI — creating and updating PRs via terminal.
• VS Code + GitLens / GitHub Pull Requests — plugins for review directly from the IDE.
• CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI) — automatic code checks when creating a PR.

Conclusion

A Pull Request is a crucial tool for team development that ensures transparency, quality, and control over code changes. It helps teams work cohesively, identify errors before release, and maintain project stability.