The glab mr command is used to manage GitLab merge requests. It provides various subcommands to interact with merge requests, such as creating merge requests, checking out specific merge requests locally, viewing changes made in merge requests, approving merge requests, merging merge requests, and editing merge requests.

Use case 1: Create a merge request

Code:

glab mr create

Motivation: Creating a merge request allows developers to propose changes to a project and get feedback from their team members. This is useful when working on a new feature or fixing a bug.

Explanation: The glab mr create command is used to create a new merge request. It will prompt you to provide the necessary details, such as the source branch, target branch, title, and description of the merge request.

Example output:

> Created merge request !123 (title: "Add new feature", source: "feature-branch", target: "main")

Use case 2: Check out a specific merge request locally

Code:

glab mr checkout mr_number

Motivation: Checking out a specific merge request locally allows developers to review the changes made in the merge request and test them in their local environment before merging.

Explanation: The glab mr checkout command is used to check out a specific merge request locally. You need to provide the merge request number as the argument (mr_number).

Example output:

> Checked out merge request !123

Use case 3: View the changes made in the merge request

Code:

glab mr diff

Motivation: Viewing the changes made in the merge request helps developers understand the modifications made in the code and review them thoroughly before merging.

Explanation: The glab mr diff command is used to view the changes made in the merge request. It will display the diff of the changes along with additional information such as file names, line numbers, and added/removed lines.

Example output:

> diff --git a/file.txt b/file.txt
> index 1234567..9876543 100644
> --- a/file.txt
> +++ b/file.txt
> @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
>  Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
>  consectetur adipiscing elit,
> -sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
> +sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
> +Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.

Use case 4: Approve the merge request for the current branch

Code:

glab mr approve

Motivation: Approving a merge request indicates that the changes made in the branch associated with the merge request are reviewed and verified, and they are ready to be merged into the target branch.

Explanation: The glab mr approve command is used to approve the merge request for the current branch. It will mark the merge request as approved.

Example output:

> Approved merge request !123

Use case 5: Merge the merge request associated with the current branch interactively

Code:

glab mr merge

Motivation: Merging a merge request integrates the changes made in the branch associated with the merge request into the target branch. Performing the merge interactively allows developers to review and resolve any conflicts that may arise during the merge process.

Explanation: The glab mr merge command is used to merge the merge request associated with the current branch interactively. It will guide you through the merge process, allowing you to review the changes, resolve conflicts, and make any necessary adjustments before finalizing the merge.

Example output:

> Merged merge request !123 (title: "Add new feature") into main

Use case 6: Edit a merge request interactively

Code:

glab mr update

Motivation: Editing a merge request interactively allows developers to make modifications to the title, description, and other details of the merge request without leaving the command-line interface.

Explanation: The glab mr update command is used to edit a merge request interactively. It will prompt you to modify the merge request details in a text editor (such as Vim or Nano) and save the changes once you’re done.

Example output:

> Updated merge request !123

Use case 7: Edit the target branch of a merge request

Code:

glab mr update --target-branch branch_name

Motivation: Editing the target branch of a merge request allows developers to change the branch to which the changes will be merged. This is useful when, for example, the target branch needs to be updated to match the project’s current structure.

Explanation: The glab mr update command can be used to edit the target branch of a merge request. You need to provide the new target branch name as an argument (branch_name) using the --target-branch option.

Example output:

> Updated target branch of merge request !123 to "new-branch"

Conclusion:

The glab mr command is a versatile tool for managing GitLab merge requests. With its various subcommands, developers can create, review, approve, merge, and modify merge requests seamlessly from the command-line interface. This helps streamline the development process and ensures efficient collaboration within a team.