paultyng Rebase PR Chain
Rebase a chain of dependent PRs so they are all up-to-date and mergeable.
1. Identify the Chain
Accept PR numbers from the user, or detect the chain automatically:
gh pr list --state open --json number,baseRefName,headRefName
Build the dependency graph: each PR's baseRefName points to the branch of the PR it depends on. Sort topologically (base branch first).
If the user provides explicit PR numbers (e.g. "33, 34, 35, 36, 37"), use that order directly.
2. Rebase Each PR
For each PR in the chain (starting from the one closest to the trunk):
a. Fetch and checkout
git fetch origin <baseRefName> <headRefName>
git checkout <headRefName>
Verify the working tree is clean.
b. Rebase
git rebase origin/<baseRefName>
If the rebase completes cleanly, skip to step (d).
c. Resolve Conflicts
Follow the same conflict resolution strategy as fix-pr-conflict:
- List conflicting files:
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U - For each file, understand both sides and classify:
- Mechanical: independent changes to nearby lines. Keep both.
- Semantic: incompatible changes to the same logic. Resolve if the outcome is clear.
- Ambiguous: design decisions or unclear intent. Abort the rebase (
git rebase --abort) and escalate to the user with a description of the conflict.
- After resolving:
git add <file>thengit rebase --continue - Repeat until the rebase completes or escalation is needed.
d. Verify
Run verification per verify-when-complete. Fix any issues from bad conflict resolution. If errors are unrelated, note them.
e. Force push
git push --force-with-lease
3. Verify Chain Mergeability
After all PRs are rebased, verify each is mergeable:
gh pr view <number> --json mergeable,mergeStateStatus
If GitHub still reports conflicts (recomputation delay), wait a few seconds and re-check once.
4. Report
Present a summary table:
| PR | Branch | Status |
|---|---|---|
| #33 | feature-a | Mergeable |
| #34 | feature-b | Mergeable |
| #35 | feature-c | Conflict (escalated) |