Mechanics of code review

[bkatiemills]

@stephenturner suggested on the SWC list lessons on how to run code from a PR locally before merging the pull - an excellent suggestion! I personally have always got by with the prescription that github offers right in the PR, of fetching the PR as a new branch. Once satisfied, I find it easiest to just delete that branch locally and merge the PR from the browser.

But, I'm open to suggestions / edge cases / other ideas.

[chendaniely]

how to run code from a PR locally before merging the pull

continuous integration tools, like Trivis CI, help with this as well. I just started using this, and personally find it fascinating, and a good check on your work. It can even check if a branch/PR breaks any unit tests (although you should probably be doing this locally...)

I think what services and github and bitbucket give you is a robust project management system. If you end up using the 'issues' these services provide, then using the web interface to do branch merging allows you to close these issues in the PR, as well as reference back to the PR that closed the issue.

Line commenting on code is also a nifty feature.

Also, the merging via github also does a non-fast-forward pull. which I prefer.

The issue/PR system that github has also nudges you towards the 'branch early and commit often' creed I hear all over the internet.

Between starting my own open source project and watching the swc repos taught me to use git in a way such that I'm not afraid to use it. It's taken about a year, but I now the basic mechanics enough to expand my git-fu.

[smsubham]

Hi I would like to contribute for Mozilla science. Can someone help me get started?

[abbycabs]

Hey @smsubham - what are you interested in? Feel free to chat with us here: https://gitter.im/mozillascience/community