UnifiedBits Pull Requests & Merging Guidelines

This repository provides the best practices for creating, reviewing, and merging pull requests (PRs) across all UnifiedBits projects. Following these guidelines ensures a smooth and efficient development workflow.

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🛠️ Creating a Pull Request

When creating a PR, ensure the following:

1. Branch from dev: Always create your branch from the latest dev branch to avoid conflicts and ensure you're working with the latest code.

   git checkout dev
   git pull origin dev
   git checkout -b feature/my-feature

2. Descriptive Commit Messages: Use Conventional Commits for meaningful commit messages.

   Example:

   feat(auth): add login functionality
   fix(ui): resolve navbar overlap issue

3. Pull Request Title: The title of your PR should briefly describe the change. Follow this format:

   <type>(<domain>): <short-description>
   

   Example:

   feat(auth): add JWT authentication
   

4. Link Related Issues: Reference any relevant issues in your PR description.

   Example:

   Closes #12 (for bug fix) or Resolves #5 (for feature implementation)

5. Provide Context: In the PR description, explain what the changes do, how they solve the problem, and any important context or steps to test.

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🧑‍💻 Code Review Process

1. Self-Review: Before submitting, review your code for clarity, performance, and adherence to project standards.

2. Request Reviewers: Assign at least two reviewers (preferably a senior developer and a team member familiar with the affected code area).

3. Be Open to Feedback: PR reviews are collaborative. Be open to constructive feedback and be prepared to make adjustments.

4. Tests: Ensure that your changes are covered by tests or add new tests if necessary. PRs without proper test coverage may be rejected.

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🔄 Merging the PR

Once your PR is approved, follow these steps:

1. Merge to dev First: All features and fixes should be merged into the dev branch. Ensure your PR is targeting dev (not main).

   After approval:

   git checkout dev
   git pull origin dev
   git merge feature/my-feature

2. Resolve Conflicts: If there are any merge conflicts, resolve them before merging. It's good practice to rebase your branch on the latest dev to ensure smooth merging.

   git rebase dev

3. Squash Commits: If your PR contains multiple small commits, squash them into a single meaningful commit before merging.

4. Merge: Once everything looks good, and all tests pass, merge the PR into dev. If you're using GitHub, you can squash and merge using the UI.

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🚨 Special Notes

• Avoid Merging Directly into main: PRs should never be merged directly into main. main should always reflect a stable, production-ready state.
• Hotfixes: Only use hotfix/ branches for urgent fixes that need to be applied directly to main. Ensure that any fixes are also merged into dev.
• Rebasing vs Merging: If your PR has diverged significantly from dev, rebase your branch before merging to avoid creating unnecessary merge commits.

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📚 Resources

• GitHub Flow
• Conventional Commits
• Squash and Merge

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"A great PR is like a good conversation: clear, collaborative, and constructive." – UnifiedBits

Let’s maintain a smooth and efficient development process through thoughtful PRs and merges! 🚀