Memory hook: Issues describe work; pull requests propose changes.
Must remember
Issues track bugs, requests and actionable work. Pull requests present proposed changes for discussion, automated checks and review. Discussions suit broader questions and community conversation that may not yet be actionable tasks. Use templates to request reproduction steps or design context without making reporting unnecessarily difficult.
Link related issues and pull requests. Supported closing keywords can close an issue when the linked change reaches the default branch under the platform's rules. Assignments identify responsibility; labels classify work; review requests ask for specific assessment. A reviewer approval does not guarantee every required check passed or every policy is satisfied.
Review the diff, intent, test evidence and risk. Comments, suggested changes and resolved conversations provide a review trail. Merge commits preserve branching history, squash creates one combined commit and rebase merge creates a linear sequence; select according to project policy and audit needs.
Markdown supports readable headings, lists, links, fenced code and task lists. Use small reproducible examples and avoid secrets in public reports. Notifications can be configured by repository, participation and event type. Watching everything can bury the action that matters; tune subscriptions and use filters.
Wikis provide collaborative documentation. Gists share snippets and can be public or secret; secret means unlisted, not access-controlled private. GitHub Pages publishes supported static content. Repository privacy and Pages publication settings must be checked independently for the actual plan/configuration. GitHub Desktop supports common Git workflows visually; Mobile supports on-the-go collaboration but is not a full local development environment.
Choose under exam pressure
| Requirement | Choice and reason |
|---|---|
| Track a reproducible defect | Issue with steps and expected/actual behavior. |
| Propose code for review | Pull request. |
| Host static project documentation | GitHub Pages with reviewed publishing settings. |
Traps
- A secret gist is accessible to anyone who has its URL.
- Resolving a conversation does not prove the underlying issue was fixed.
Active recall
1. Issue versus discussion?
Actionable work tracking versus open-ended conversation.
2. What does squash merge do?
Combines the proposed changes into a single new commit on the target branch.
3. Why link a PR to an issue?
To preserve context and connect implementation with the requested outcome.
4. Why use code fences?
To preserve readable code or command formatting.
5. Why tune notifications?
To retain useful signals without overwhelming the review workflow.
Sources
- issues · tracking-your-work-with-issues · about-issues
- pull-requests · collaborating-with-pull-requests · proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests · about-pull-requests
- get-started · writing-on-github
- get-started · writing-on-github · editing-and-sharing-content-with-gists · creating-gists
- pages · getting-started-with-github-pages · about-github-pages