Anatomy of a Pull Request

Objective: Anatomy of a Pull Request

Welcome to Anatomy of a Pull Request!

Our objective for this micro-quest is to familiarize ourselves with the key components of a Pull Request page on a platform like GitHub. Specifically, we will identify and describe the function of the following four areas:

  • The title and description area
  • The 'Commits' tab
  • The 'Files changed' tab
  • The conversation/timeline area

Check Spec: The Pull Request Page

Before we begin, let's ensure we know where to look.

Our specification is the Pull Request page itself. You should have recently created a Pull Request as part of the previous micro-quest. Navigate to that Pull Request page in your web browser.

Take a moment to visually scan the page and locate the four areas mentioned in the objective. We will examine each one in detail in the next step.

Implement: Identify and Describe Components

Now, let's work through identifying and understanding the function of each specified component on the Pull Request page.

Step by step checklist:

  1. Locate the title and description area at the top of the Pull Request page. Consider its purpose in summarizing the proposed changes.
  2. Find and click on the 'Commits' tab. Observe the information presented here and think about what it tells you about the history of the changes in this Pull Request.
  3. Find and click on the 'Files changed' tab. Examine the view presented and understand how it helps reviewers see exactly what code was added, removed, or modified.
  4. Scroll down to the conversation and timeline area. Note the types of interactions and information typically found here, such as comments, reviews, and status checks.

The following documentation sections are going to be helpful:

Validate: Review Your Findings

We have now identified and considered the function of the four key areas of a Pull Request page.

Validation for this micro-quest involves reviewing your understanding against the objective. Did you successfully locate each of the four components? Can you describe the primary purpose of each area?

Since this task is observational and descriptive, there is no automated verification step. Your successful completion is based on your ability to correctly identify and explain these parts of the Pull Request UI.

Documentation

Documentation not available for PY-1.4-BP2.