How to use the command 'git request-pull' (with examples)

The ‘git request-pull’ command is used to generate a request asking the upstream project to pull changes into its tree. It is commonly used when working on a project that uses a distributed version control system like Git, where developers contribute changes to their own branches and then submit a pull request to have those changes merged into the main project.

Use case 1: Producing a request with changes between v1.1 release and a specified branch

Code:

git request-pull v1.1 https://example.com/project branch_name

Motivation: In this use case, we want to generate a request summarizing the changes between the v1.1 release of the project and a specified branch (branch_name) that contains additional changes. This can be useful when working on a long-term project where multiple releases are made, and you want to provide a clear overview of the changes that have been made since the previous release.

Explanation of arguments:

• v1.1: This argument specifies the base commit or release from which the changes should be summarized.
• https://example.com/project : This argument specifies the URL of the upstream project from which the changes were made.
• branch_name: This argument specifies the branch that contains the additional changes made after the v1.1 release.

Example output: The output of the ‘git request-pull’ command will be a request summary in a format that can be easily shared with the project maintainers. It will typically include information about the base commit, the changes introduced in the specified branch, and the URL to the repository containing those changes.

Use case 2: Producing a request with changes between v0.1 release on ‘foo’ branch and the local ‘bar’ branch

Code:

git request-pull v0.1 https://example.com/project foo:bar

Motivation: In this use case, we want to generate a request summarizing the changes between a specific release (v0.1) on the ‘foo’ branch and the local ‘bar’ branch. This can be useful when collaborating with other developers who have been working on the ‘foo’ branch and you have made additional changes on the ‘bar’ branch that you want to integrate into the project.

Explanation of arguments:

• v0.1: This argument specifies the base release from which the changes should be summarized.
• https://example.com/project : This argument specifies the URL of the upstream project from which the changes were made.
• foo:bar: This argument specifies the range of commits to include in the summary. In this case, it includes the changes made between the ‘foo’ branch and the ‘bar’ branch.

Example output: The output of the ‘git request-pull’ command will be a request summary similar to the previous use case, but it will now include the changes made between the ‘foo’ branch and the ‘bar’ branch instead of a specified branch and the base release.

Conclusion:

The ‘git request-pull’ command is a useful tool for generating request summaries when contributing changes to an upstream project. It allows developers to clearly communicate the changes they have made and request for those changes to be pulled into the project’s main tree. By providing a concise overview of the changes, it helps project maintainers make informed decisions on whether to accept the changes or not.