Pull request
In Git, a pull request is a way to propose changes from one branch (or fork) to another, usually from one of the feature branches to the main branch. It's a mechanism for collaborating on code changes and facilitating code review before merging the changes into the main branch.
Imagine that you have found a bug in someone else's project on GitHub. You understand what changes are needed, but you don't have permission to directly edit their repository. Here's what you do:
- Fork the repository: This means creating a copy of their repository in your own GitHub account.
- Make changes: You can modify this forked repository however you like.
- Create a pull request: Once your changes are complete, you submit a pull request to the original repository.
The maintainers of the original project will review your changes and decide if they want to include them in the main project. This method is commonly used in open-source projects. It provides a structured way to propose, discuss, and integrate changes, ensuring code quality. It also greatly decreases the time between the moment you have an idea and the moment it's implemented, because you can write the code on your own instead of waiting for someone else to do it.
On platforms other than GitHub, pull requests might be called differently. For instance, on GitLab, they are known as merge requests.