git-hex-pr-workflow

Git-hex PR Workflow

Use this skill when the user wants to go from a messy feature branch to a clean, submitted (or updated) pull request. This skill combines git-hex for local commit shaping with GitHub tools or CLI for remote collaboration.

Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the branch

1. Call git-hex-getRebasePlan with onto set to the target branch (usually main or origin/main) to see all commits that will be in the PR.
2. Call git-hex-checkRebaseConflicts with the same onto to predict whether rebasing will be smooth. If conflicts are predicted, warn the user before proceeding — they may want to resolve upstream changes first.

Phase 2: Shape the history

Use the git-hex-branch-cleanup skill techniques to craft a clean, logical commit sequence. Common PR prep patterns:

• Squash WIP commits: Use rebaseWithPlan with fixup actions to collapse work-in-progress into meaningful commits.
• Separate concerns: Use splitCommit to break a large commit into focused, reviewable pieces (e.g., separate refactoring from feature work).
• Reword for clarity: Use rebaseWithPlan with reword actions to write commit messages that tell the PR's story.
• Rebase onto latest main: Use rebaseWithPlan with onto: "origin/main" and an empty plan to fast-forward the base.

Phase 3: Push and create the PR

1. Push: git push --force-with-lease (safe force push — refuses if the remote has commits you haven't seen).

   • For first push: git push -u origin <branch>.
   • Never force-push to main/master.

2. Create or update the PR:

   • Use gh pr create (or the GitHub plugin if installed).
   • Craft the PR description from the commit history: Use the commits from getRebasePlan to build a summary. Each well-crafted commit message becomes a bullet point or section in the PR body.

   gh pr create --title "Short title" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
   ## Summary
   - First logical change (from commit 1 message)
   - Second logical change (from commit 2 message)
   
   ## Test plan
   - [ ] Verify X
   - [ ] Check Y
   EOF
   )"
   

Phase 4: Address review feedback

When the user gets review comments and wants to update the PR:

1. Make the fix — edit the code as needed.
2. Target the right commit — use git-hex-createFixup pointing at the commit the review comment refers to. This keeps the fix associated with the original change.
3. Fold it in — git-hex-rebaseWithPlan with autosquash: true to absorb the fixup commit.
4. Push again — git push --force-with-lease.

This produces a clean history where each commit is correct, rather than a trail of "fix review comment" commits.

Phase 5: Handle stacked PRs (advanced)

When working with dependent branches:

1. Rebase child branches after parent is rebased: git-hex-rebaseWithPlan with onto set to the rebased parent.
2. Use git-hex-checkRebaseConflicts to preview whether the child rebase will conflict.
3. Push each branch with --force-with-lease.

Tools to prefer

• Local craft: All git-hex tools (see branch-cleanup skill for details)
• Remote: GitHub plugin tools if installed; otherwise gh CLI

Key insight

git-hex handles the local craft — shaping commits into a clean, reviewable story. GitHub tools handle the remote collaboration — creating PRs, adding reviewers, responding to comments. Together they cover the full PR lifecycle.

Gotchas

• Always fetch before rebasing onto main: git fetch origin first, then use origin/main as the onto target.
• --force-with-lease not --force: The lease check prevents overwriting teammates' pushes.
• Review feedback fixups need staging: createFixup requires staged changes — remind the user to git add the fix first.
• PR description gets stale after rebase: If you rewrote history, update the PR description to match the new commits.