Mastering Branches and Pull Requests for Developers

By Amr

Learn how branches and pull requests streamline collaboration and enhance code quality in software development.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Edit on Github

🧙‍♂️ Branch Like a Wizard: GitHub PR Sorcery 101

Welcome to the enchanted forest of GitHub, where every branch is a path, and every pull request (PR) is a summoning ritual. Here’s how to avoid conjuring chaos and keep your repo realm pristine.


🌱 Branches: Not Just for Trees

Treat your repo like a magical kingdom. You wouldn’t build your dragon stable in the throne room, right? Same goes for your code. Use branches to separate your experiments, fixes, and glorious new features.

✨ The Five Sacred Branch Types:

🧪 Branch Type 🏷️ Example 🔮 Purpose 🛡️ PR Requirements
Main main Sacred source of truth (prod) Must be peer-reviewed & tested by CI elders
Feature feature/frog-translator New magic spell (feature) Describe it well, include test scrolls
Bugfix bugfix/unicorn-glitch Patch a wild bug Show your work: bug ref + how to summon it
Hotfix hotfix/melted-cauldron Urgent fix (prod on fire) Small, fast, reviewed with haste
Release release/v3.1.4 Prepare for kingdom-wide update Reviewed, changelog updated, tagged with care

🧾 The Pull Request Prophecy

Think of a PR like a scroll you send to the council. It must be clear, complete, and convincing. If you send in a blank scroll with a title like “stuff,” expect it to be eaten by the dragons of indifference.

📜 Required PR Runes:

  • 🧙 Description: What magic did you perform and why?

  • 🪄 Issue Reference: Link the scroll that foretold this change.

  • 🧪 Test Plan: Describe the rituals used to verify your work.

  • 🎞️ Screenshots/Demos: Visual proof your enchantments work (especially UI).

  • ✅ Reviewer Checklist: Guide your reviewer like a map through the mountains.

🧪 Sample PR Template:

## Description
Added Frog-to-English translation in login wizard.

## Fixes
Resolves issue #456

## Type of Change
- [x] Feature
- [ ] Bug Fix
- [ ] Minor Update
- [ ] Major Update

## Test Plan
1. Go to login
2. Select frog mode
3. Expect croaks to be translated into form input

## Screenshots
(Add enchanted frog footage here)

## Reviewer Checklist
- [ ] Code reviewed
- [ ] Tests passed
- [ ] Scrolls (docs) updated


So next time you open a PR, channel your inner mage. Make it clear. Make it tested. And always, always remember: the main branch is sacred ground—don’t walk on it with muddy boots.