Pull Request — Explained with Examples

A pull request proposes changes from one branch to another, enabling code review, discussion, and automated checks before merging.

A Pull Request (PR) is a feature of Git hosting platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) that requests the target branch maintainer to review and merge changes from a source branch. PRs display a diff of proposed changes, support inline comments, run CI/CD checks, and require approval before merging. They are the primary collaboration mechanism in modern Git workflows.

Think of a pull request like submitting a term paper to your professor. You write the paper (code), submit it for review (open PR), the professor leaves comments and grades it (code review), you revise based on feedback, and finally the professor approves and records the grade (merge).

A well-crafted PR includes a descriptive title, explanation of changes, related issue references, and screenshots if applicable. Reviewers check for correctness, style, performance, and test coverage.

PR Title: "Add password reset functionality"

Description:
- Implements forgot password flow via email
- Adds /reset-password endpoint
- Sends reset links with 1-hour expiry
- Closes #142

Checklist:
- [x] Tests added
- [x] Documentation updated
- [x] CI passes

PR best practices: keep PRs small and focused, write clear descriptions, respond to feedback promptly, and rebase before merging to maintain linear history.

Fork, Code Review, Branch, Git

GitHub Flow with PRs