What is a pull request and what is it for?

A pull request (PR, called a merge request on GitLab) is a request to merge the commits of one branch into another, usually into main. It is a feature of hosting platforms such as GitHub, not of Git itself.

A PR gives the team one place to:

• See the diff of all changes in the branch.
• Discuss the code with line comments and review it, with approve or request-changes decisions.
• Run automated checks such as tests, linters and builds.
• Merge once the rules are met, and keep a record of why the change was made.

Typical flow:

git switch -c feature/login-validation
git commit -am "Validate email on login"
git push -u origin feature/login-validation
# open the PR on the platform, address review comments, merge

If you push more commits to the same branch, the PR updates automatically.

Keep PRs small and focused with a clear description of what changed and how to test it, so reviewers can respond quickly. A PR is a conversation about code, not only a merge button.