A Pull Request (PR) in Azure DevOps is a critical feature for collaborating on code changes. It is a method used in source control management, particularly with Git, to request that changes you have made in a branch be reviewed and then merged into another branch, typically the main or master branch. Here’s an overview of how Pull Requests work in Azure DevOps:

Creating a Pull Request

1. Branching: First, you create a branch from the main codebase where you can make your changes independently.
2. Making Changes: After completing your code changes in the branch, commit them to the branch.
3. Pushing Changes: Push the branch with your changes to the Azure DevOps repository.
4. Creating the PR: From Azure DevOps Repos, select your branch and click on “Create a pull request”. Fill in the details like the title, description, the branch you want to merge your changes into, and any other relevant information.
5. Reviewers: You can specify reviewers for your PR. These individuals are responsible for reviewing the changes before they are merged.

Review Process

1. Code Review: Reviewers examine the changes, comment on them, suggest improvements, or approve them. This process fosters collaboration and ensures code quality.
2. Automated Builds: Azure DevOps can run automated builds and tests (CI pipelines) to verify the changes don’t break the build or existing functionality.
3. Discussions and Updates: Developers and reviewers can have discussions within the PR. If needed, additional commits can be pushed to the PR branch to update the PR.

Completing the Pull Request

1. Approval: Once the reviewers are satisfied with the changes, they approve the PR.
2. Merge: After approval, the PR can be merged into the target branch.
3. Closing the PR: Once merged, the PR is closed. Some teams delete the feature branch post-merge to keep the repository clean.

Best Practices

• Keep PRs Small: Smaller PRs are easier to review and less likely to cause merge conflicts.
• Write Clear Descriptions: A clear description helps reviewers understand the context and purpose of the changes.
• Regularly Sync with Base Branch: Regularly merge changes from the base branch into your feature branch to stay up-to-date and minimize conflicts.
• Incorporate Continuous Integration: Set up CI pipelines to automate testing for PRs.
• Follow a Review Process: Establish a consistent code review process for your team.

Integration with Azure Boards

• Work Item Linking: You can link work items (like tasks, bugs, or user stories) from Azure Boards to your PRs. This helps in tracking the completion of work and maintaining traceability.

Notifications

• Email and Dashboard Notifications: Azure DevOps can notify reviewers and contributors about the status and updates of PRs through emails and dashboard notifications.

Pull Requests in Azure DevOps are a powerful way to ensure that code changes are reviewed and validated, fostering code quality and team collaboration. They are an essential part of modern DevOps practices, especially in teams following the Git branching and merging strategies.