majiayu000 PR Operations Skill
Core Rule
CRITICAL: Use ONLY
erk execCommands for PR Thread Operations
- ❌ DO NOT use raw
gh apicalls for thread operations- ❌ DO NOT use
gh prcommands directly for thread resolution- ✅ ONLY use
erk execcommands listed belowThe
erk execcommands handle thread resolution correctly. Raw API calls only reply without resolving.
Quick Reference
| Command | Purpose | Key Point |
|---|---|---|
get-pr-review-comments |
Fetch unresolved review threads | Returns threads with line info |
get-pr-discussion-comments |
Fetch PR discussion comments | Returns top-level comments |
resolve-review-thread |
Reply AND resolve a single thread | Does both in one operation |
resolve-review-threads |
Batch resolve multiple threads | JSON stdin, one call for N threads |
reply-to-discussion-comment |
Reply to discussion comment | For non-code feedback |
post-pr-inline-comment |
Post new inline comment | Creates new review thread |
When to Use Each Command
Fetching Comments
# Get all unresolved review threads (code comments)
erk exec get-pr-review-comments
# Get all discussion comments (top-level PR comments)
erk exec get-pr-discussion-comments
# Include resolved threads (for reference)
erk exec get-pr-review-comments --all
Resolving Review Threads
# Resolve a single thread
erk exec resolve-review-thread --thread-id "PRRT_abc123" --comment "Fixed in commit abc1234"
# Batch resolve multiple threads (preferred for pr-address batches)
echo '[{"thread_id": "PRRT_abc", "comment": "Fixed"}, {"thread_id": "PRRT_def", "comment": "Applied"}]' | erk exec resolve-review-threads
Replying to Discussion Comments
# For PR discussion comments (not code review threads)
erk exec reply-to-discussion-comment --comment-id 12345 --reply "**Action taken:** Updated the docs as requested."
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
Using gh api repos/.../comments/{id}/replies |
Only replies, doesn't resolve | Use erk exec resolve-review-thread |
Using gh pr comment |
Doesn't resolve threads | Use erk exec resolve-review-thread |
| Skipping resolution for outdated threads | Threads stay open in PR | Always resolve, even if already fixed |
| Generic replies like "Noted" | Not useful for PR history | Include investigation findings |
Replying vs Resolving
IMPORTANT: Replying ≠ Resolving
- Replying (via raw
gh api .../replies): Adds a comment but thread stays OPEN- Resolving (via
erk exec resolve-review-thread): Adds a comment AND marks thread as RESOLVEDAlways use
erk exec resolve-review-thread(single) orerk exec resolve-review-threads(batch) - they do both in one operation.
Comment Classification Model
When analyzing PR feedback, classify comments by complexity and group into batches.
Complexity Categories
- Local fix: Single comment → single location change (e.g., "Fix typo", "Add type annotation")
- Multi-location: Single comment → changes in multiple spots in one file
- Cross-cutting: Single comment → changes across multiple files
- Related: Multiple comments that inform a single unified change
Batch Ordering
Process batches from simplest to most complex:
| Batch | Complexity | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local fixes | One file, one location per comment | "Use LBYL pattern at line 42" |
| 2 | Single-file multi-location | One file, multiple locations | "Rename this variable everywhere in this file" |
| 3 | Cross-cutting | Multiple files affected | "Update all callers of this function" |
| 4 | Complex/Related | Multiple comments inform one change | "Fold validate into prepare" + "Use union types for this" |
Note: Discussion comments requiring doc updates go in Batch 3 (cross-cutting).
Batch Confirmation Flow
- Batch 1-2 (simple): Auto-proceed without confirmation
- Batch 3-4 (complex): Show plan and wait for user approval
Inline Comment Deduplication
When posting inline review comments, always deduplicate to prevent re-posting existing comments:
- Build dedup key:
(file_path, line_number, body_prefix)where prefix is first 80 characters of comment body - Check proximity: Match within 2-line tolerance (line 42 matches existing comments at lines 40–44)
- Skip duplicates: If a matching key exists, do not post the comment
This prevents the same feedback from appearing multiple times across review iterations. See Inline Comment Deduplication for full algorithm details.
Detailed Documentation
For complete command documentation including JSON output formats, options, and examples:
@references/commands.md