GitHub Launches Stacked PRs to Enhance Code Review Process
Severity: Low (Score: 9.2)
Sources: jg.gg, secure.phabricator.com, Devclass, github.github.com
Summary
GitHub has introduced a new feature called Stacked PRs, currently in private preview, designed to streamline the management of large pull requests by allowing them to be organized in a stack. Each pull request in the stack can be reviewed and merged independently, provided that all preceding pull requests are merged first. This feature aims to encourage smaller, more manageable pull requests, addressing common issues developers face when working on interdependent code changes. The concept of stacked pull requests is reminiscent of the 'stacked diffs' functionality from Differential, a tool developed by Evan Priestley and Luke Shepard in 2007. Although Stacked PRs are a new feature for GitHub, they draw upon established practices in other code management systems. The introduction of this feature is expected to significantly improve the developer workflow by reducing bottlenecks in code review processes. GitHub has also integrated a command line interface (CLI) to facilitate the use of Stacked PRs, although it is optional. The overall reception from the developer community has been positive, with many expressing enthusiasm for the feature's potential to simplify complex workflows. Key Points: • GitHub's Stacked PRs allow independent review of pull requests in a stack. • The feature aims to reduce the complexity of managing large pull requests. • Stacked PRs are inspired by the stacked diffs concept from Phabricator's Differential.