Merging a pull request on GitHub involves the following steps:
Select Pull Request: We click on the pull request we want to merge. This opens the pull request page where we can see the proposed changes and any discussions about them.
Merge Options: At the bottom of the pull request page, we have 3 options for merging the pull request:
- Merge pull request: This option merges the changes directly into the base branch. It retains the commit history of the pull request.
- Squash and merge: This option combines all the commits into a single commit before merging. This is recommended when we have multiple small commits that we want to combine into a single commit. It keeps the commit history clean and concise.
- Rebase and merge: This option rewrites the commit history to apply the changes from the pull request on top of the base branch.
Confirm Merge: Once we've chosen our merge option, we click "Confirm merge", "Confirm squash and merge", or "Confirm rebase and merge" to finalize the merge. We may be prompted to type a commit message, or we can accept the default message.
Clean Up: After merging, we have the option to delete the branch that was merged. This helps keep our repository tidy.
By following these steps, we can effectively merge pull requests and incorporate changes into our main codebase.