Pull Request best practices

95% of dev teams do Pull Requests, but a lot of them don't get it right. By following some simple guidelines, you can make the whole process smoother and easier for everyone.

Key Takeaways

• ✏️ Write clear titles and descriptions – This helps reviewers quickly understand what the pull request is about and what changes were made.
• 📋 Use pull request templates – Templates help keep things consistent and make the review process faster for everyone.
• 🔍 Keep pull requests small and focused – Smaller pull requests are quicker and easier to review, saving time and avoiding confusion.
• 💬 Encourage early collaboration and feedback – This leads to better code and smoother team communication. Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for input!

Creating Effective Pull Requests

Creating effective pull requests is crucial for a smooth development process. Here are some best practices to follow:

Writing Clear Titles and Descriptions

A clear title and description are essential for a good pull request. Make sure your title is concise and descriptive. The description should provide a summary of the changes and their purpose. This helps reviewers understand the context quickly.

Providing Context and Guidance

Always provide context for your changes. Explain why the changes are necessary and how they fit into the larger project. This can be done through comments in the code or in the pull request description. Providing guidance on how to test the changes can also be very helpful.

Reviewing Your Own Code First

Before submitting a pull request, review your own code. Look for any obvious mistakes or areas that could be improved. This makes the review process easier for others and increases the chances of your pull request being accepted. If you see anything that could be confusing, leave inline comments to explain your choices.

Managing Pull Requests Efficiently

Using Pull Request Templates

Using pull request templates can streamline the process and ensure consistency. Templates can save time and reduce back-and-forth communication. Here is a quick guide to pull request templates.

Setting Clear Guidelines

Establishing clear guidelines for pull requests is crucial. These guidelines should cover aspects like code style, testing requirements, and review timelines. Clear guidelines help maintain quality and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Prioritizing Critical Changes

Not all pull requests are created equal. It's important to prioritize critical changes to avoid bottlenecks. By focusing on high-priority pull requests first, teams can ensure that essential updates are merged promptly, improving overall efficiency.

Discover effective strategies for managing pull requests, including the importance of timely reviews, optimizing review cycles, and implementing the best practices for PR reviews.

Encouraging Collaborative Reviews

Fostering Constructive Feedback

When reviewing code, it's best to approach it with a collaborative mindset rather than a critical one. It's your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the codebase, but it's ideal to do so in tandem with the pull request author. If something in the code seems off, instead of jumping to conclusions, approach it with a spirit of constructive inquiry. This means avoiding a confrontational tone and seeking to understand the rationale behind the code changes. For example, saying "There's an issue with this line" is far more constructive than saying "You messed up here".

Wherever possible, reviewers should supplement feedback with helpful resources like relevant documentation or educational articles. This approach not only maintains a positive atmosphere but also fosters learning and growth.

Promoting Early Collaboration

Sometimes we want our code merged in quickly, so we seek an approval instead of a proper review and dialogue. However, shallow reviews defeat the purpose of code review. One step that can help open up a dialogue is to request more reviewers.

Why does requesting more reviewers help?

• It adds more perspectives. If only one approval is required, and only one review requested, other teammates will never get a chance to disagree.
• People are available at different times. Requesting more reviewers increases the likelihood that eyes get on the PR sooner.
• If there’s a more general coding style/design disagreement in the PR, others have a chance to weigh in or at least become aware of it.
• Standups are by nature more status updates than working in the weeds. When someone is requested on a PR, they can read exactly what a teammate is working on and can reference that code if they encounter a similar issue.

Recognizing Outstanding Contributions

Positive recognition can go a long way in motivating team members. Highlighting and celebrating outstanding pull requests not only boosts morale but also sets a standard for others to follow. Acknowledging the effort and quality of work encourages everyone to strive for excellence.

Building a habit of recognizing good work will pay off in the long run and ensure good practices are being followed even when times are busy. Your future self and future colleagues will thank you.

Maintaining Small and Focused Pull Requests

Advantages of Small Pull Requests

Keeping pull requests small and focused has numerous benefits. It makes the review process more manageable and helps reviewers give their undivided attention to the code. Smaller pull requests also reduce the likelihood of review fatigue, which can lead to overlooked issues.

Recommended Size and Scope

Aim to keep your pull requests between 200-400 lines of code. This range is ideal for submitting functions, classes, or a small set of related changes. By doing so, you make it easier for reviewers to understand and provide feedback on your code.

Avoiding Feature Creep

Feature creep can make pull requests larger and harder to review. To mitigate this, strive to keep your PRs small and focused on a single task or feature. This approach makes the review process more manageable and helps ensure that each change is thoroughly vetted before being merged.

Smaller pull requests not only improve efficiency but also enhance the overall development experience for everyone involved.

Leveraging Tools and Automation

Using Draft Pull Requests

Draft pull requests are a great way to share your work early. They let your team see what you're working on and give feedback before everything is final. This can help catch issues early and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Incorporating Automated Tests

Automated tests are essential for catching bugs and ensuring code quality. Tools like GitHub Actions and Jenkins can run tests automatically when you make a pull request. This saves time and helps keep the codebase stable.

Utilizing Continuous Integration

Continuous integration (CI) tools automatically build and test your code whenever you make changes. This helps catch errors early and ensures that new code works well with the existing code. Popular CI tools include Travis CI, CircleCI, and GitLab CI.

Automating repetitive tasks frees up human reviewers to focus on more complex issues, improving overall productivity.

By using these tools, you can make your pull request process smoother and more efficient.

⭐️ Bonus: Using Github and Slack integration to organize pull requests.

Using a tool like PullNotifier is a huge help for teams using Github & Slack. The tool organizes pull requests and mentions/tags the reviewers directly on Slack. I would personally recommend this. Here's a quick demo video on PullNotifier:

Avoiding Common Pull Request Pitfalls

Lack of Context or Documentation

A pull request without context is like a book without a title. Reviewers need to know what’s going on and why the changes were made. Always give clear documentation and context so reviewers can easily understand the purpose and scope of your changes. This helps them give better constructive feedback and ensures the code gets a thorough review.

Inadequate Testing

🚨 Skipping tests is asking for trouble! Before submitting a pull request, always make sure your code is properly tested. This means running unit tests and using tools that catch common mistakes. Testing helps keep the code quality high and lowers the risk of bugs sneaking into the main codebase. 🔍✔️

Unintentional Dependencies

Changes in one part of the code can sometimes affect other parts in unexpected ways. These unintentional dependencies can create a "domino effect," causing widespread issues. To avoid this, review your code carefully and consider how your changes might impact other functionalities. This helps in keeping the codebase stable and maintainable.

"Feature creep is an innocent process. An engineer looking at a prototype of a remote control might think to herself, 'Hey, there’s some extra real estate here on the face of the control. And there’s some extra capacity on the chip. Rather than let it go to waste, what if we give people the ability to toggle between the Julian and Gregorian calendars?'"

By being mindful of these common pitfalls, you can create pull requests that are easier to review and more likely to be accepted.

Conclusion

🎯 In conclusion, sticking to best practices for pull requests can really boost your development process. Keep pull requests small and focused, give clear context, and encourage early, helpful feedback to make reviews smoother and faster. 📋 Using templates and promoting collaboration keeps the standards high and the code quality top-notch. The goal is simple: make it easier for everyone to understand, review, and approve changes. By doing this, you not only improve your code but also create a more productive and collaborative team environment! 👥🚀

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pull request?

A pull request is a way to propose changes to a codebase. It allows developers to notify team members that they have completed a feature or bug fix and would like their changes to be reviewed and merged into the main codebase.

Why should I keep my pull requests small?

Small pull requests are easier and faster to review. They help reduce the chances of introducing bugs and make the changes clearer to understand.

What should I include in a pull request description?

A pull request description should include the purpose of the changes, an overview of what was changed, and any additional context or links to related issues. This helps reviewers understand the changes quickly.

How can I make my pull request easier to review?

To make your pull request easier to review: (1) write clear titles and descriptions (2) provide context and guidance (3) and review your own code first to catch any obvious errors.

What are pull request templates?

Pull request templates is a checklist of things you should do to help ensure that your PR has all the necessary details.

Why is early collaboration important in pull requests?

Early collaboration helps catch issues early, allows for feedback before too much work is done, and fosters a collaborative environment. This can lead to better code quality and a more efficient review process.