Create Pr From Commits

Create PR from Commits

Overview

Automate pull request creation by extracting information from git commits and filling the repository's PR template. This eliminates manual repetition while ensuring PRs contain complete, accurate information.

When to Use

Use when:

• User asks to "create a PR"
• User says "make a pull request"
• User requests "submit this for review"
• You've created 2+ PRs in the session (proactively offer this workflow)

Don't use when:

• User wants to manually draft the PR description
• PR requires special context not in commits
• Repository has no PR template

Core Workflow

digraph pr_workflow {
    "User requests PR" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Gather git context" [shape=box];
    "Find PR template" [shape=box];
    "Analyze commits" [shape=box];
    "Fill template" [shape=box];
    "Create PR with gh pr create" [shape=box];
    "Return PR URL" [shape=doublecircle];

    "User requests PR" -> "Gather git context";
    "Gather git context" -> "Find PR template";
    "Find PR template" -> "Analyze commits";
    "Analyze commits" -> "Fill template";
    "Fill template" -> "Create PR with gh pr create";
    "Create PR with gh pr create" -> "Return PR URL";
}

Implementation

Step 1: Prompt for GUS ID (Internal Contributors Only)

For internal Tableau contributors, ask for the GUS work item ID:

What is the GUS work item ID for this PR? (Format: W-12345678)
If you're an external contributor, press Enter to skip.

GUS ID format:

• Starts with @W-
• Followed by 8 digits
• Example: @W-22802840

If the user provides just the number (e.g., "22802840"), prepend @W-. If they provide "W-12345678", prepend @.

If no GUS ID provided: Continue without it - external contributors don't need GUS IDs.

Step 2: Gather Git Context (parallel)

Run these commands in parallel with Bash tool:

# Get all commits since main
git log main..HEAD --format="%h %s%n%b"

# Get full diff
git diff main...HEAD

# Get changed files
git diff main...HEAD --stat

# Check branch tracking
git branch -vv

Step 3: Read PR Template

Read the PR template at .github/pull_request_template.md to identify required sections.

Step 4: Analyze Commits

Extract information for PR title and template sections:

PR Title:

• Format: @W-12345678: Short description (internal contributors with GUS ID)
• Format: Short description (external contributors without GUS ID)
• Derive short description from main commit subject (50 chars max after GUS ID)
• Example with GUS: @W-22802840: Remove sensitive data from error logs
• Example without GUS: Remove sensitive data from error logs

Description/Summary:

• Combine commit subjects into bullet points
• Group related commits (e.g., "fix lint issues" with main feature)
• Lead with most important change

Motivation/Context:

• Look for "why" in commit messages
• Extract issue numbers (e.g., W-12345, #123, GUS-456)
• Infer purpose from code changes if not explicit

Type of Change:

• Scan for keywords: "fix" (bug fix), "add" (feature), "breaking" (breaking change), "docs" (documentation)
• Check multiple commits - may have multiple types

Testing:

• Look for test file changes in diff (*.test.ts, *.spec.js)
• Check commit messages mentioning "test"
• Note if all tests pass (check last commit message)

Breaking Changes:

• Scan for: renamed env vars, removed APIs, changed defaults
• Check commit bodies for "BREAKING" or "breaking change"

Step 5: Fill Template

Create PR with GUS ID in title using HEREDOC format:

gh pr create --title "@W-12345678: Short description from commits" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Description
- Bullet point 1 from commit
- Bullet point 2 from commit

## Motivation and Context
[Extracted from commit bodies or inferred from changes]

## Type of Change
- [x] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
...

## How Has This Been Tested?
[List test files changed or mention manual testing]

## Related Issues
Closes #123, W-45678

## Checklist
- [x] Tests added
- [x] Tests pass
- [ ] Documentation updated
EOF
)"

Template mapping patterns:

Step 6: Create PR

# Push if needed
[[ $(git branch -vv | grep 'gone\]') ]] && git push -u origin HEAD

# Create PR with GUS ID in title
gh pr create --title "@W-12345678: Description" --body "..."

Edge Cases

No PR Template Found

If no template exists, create minimal but complete PR:

gh pr create --title "..." --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
- [commit-based bullets]

## Changes
- [files changed summary]

## Testing
[test coverage or manual testing note]
EOF
)"

Multiple Base Branch Options

Check project conventions:

• Most repos: main
• Some use: master, develop, trunk

Use gh pr create --base <branch> to specify.

PR Already Exists

If gh pr create fails with "pull request already exists":

• Return the existing PR URL
• Offer to update the PR description with gh pr edit <number>

Common Mistakes

❌ Skipping GUS ID Prompt for Internal Contributors

ALWAYS ask for GUS ID (but allow skipping for external contributors).

Don't say: "I'll create the PR now" without prompting for GUS ID first.

❌ Asking User for Information Already in Commits

Don't ask: "What should I put in the description?"

The commits contain this information. Extract it (except for GUS ID).

❌ Generic or Vague Descriptions

Don't write: "Various bug fixes and improvements"

Extract specifics: "Fix memory leak in auth flow, improve error logging for failed requests"

❌ Skipping Template Sections

Don't leave sections empty with "TODO".

If information is missing, infer from code changes or use reasonable defaults:

• No tests? Say "Manual testing performed"
• No breaking changes? Check the box as "No"

❌ Creating PR Before Checking Push Status

Always verify branch is pushed before creating PR:

git branch -vv  # Check tracking

❌ Not Handling HEREDOC Properly

Use single quotes in <<'EOF' to prevent variable expansion in PR body.

Quick Reference

Full workflow:

# 1. Ask user for GUS ID (allow skip for external contributors)
# "What is the GUS work item ID? (Format: W-12345678, or press Enter to skip)"

# 2. Gather context (parallel)
git log main..HEAD --format="%h %s%n%b" &
git diff main...HEAD --stat &
wait

# 3. Find and read template
cat .github/pull_request_template.md

# 4. Create PR with GUS ID in title
gh pr create --title "@W-12345678: Short description" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
[filled template here]
EOF
)"

Title format examples:

• ✅ @W-22802840: Remove sensitive data from error logs (internal)
• ✅ @W-12345678: Add user management feature (internal)
• ✅ Remove sensitive data from error logs (external contributor)
• ❌ W-22802840: Fix bug (missing @ symbol for internal contributor)

Real-World Impact

Before this skill:

• 2-3 minutes per PR (manual git commands, template reading, copy-paste)
• Inconsistent PR descriptions
• Easy to skip template sections
• Repeated work for multiple PRs

After this skill:

• ~30 seconds per PR (automated extraction)
• Consistent, complete PR descriptions
• All template sections filled
• Scalable to many PRs