gh-pr-create

name

gh-pr-create

description

Creates a new GitHub pull request with `gh pr create` using title and body from the branch commits and diff. If the current branch is main or master, checks out a new branch whose name is a short kebab-case slug derived from the changes, then proceeds. PR title is one simple sentence over all commits in the range, preserving emoji from those commits. Use when opening a new PR, running `gh pr create`, or publishing a branch without an existing PR.

gh-pr-create

Purpose

Use this skill to open a new pull request whose title and body are derived from the current branch. The body follows gh-pr-summary structure (a built-in Claude Code harness skill); the title is a single plain sentence rolled up from every commit in the range.

If a PR for this branch already exists, prefer refreshing it with gh pr edit and the gh-pr-summary skill instead.

Workflow

1. Leave main / master before a PR

   • If the current branch is main or master, do not run gh pr create from it.
   • Infer a simple branch name from the work: use git status, git diff / staged diff, and any local commits ahead of origin/<default> to capture the dominant change.
   • Use a short kebab-case ASCII slug (e.g. fix-oauth-redirect, add-pr-create-skill). Strip emoji and punctuation from the slug; keep it readable and specific.
   • Run git switch -c <slug> (or git checkout -b <slug>), then git push -u origin HEAD.
   • If there is nothing to commit yet, stop and ask the user to commit on the new branch first; a PR needs at least one commit on the head branch.

2. Preconditions

   • Confirm the head branch is pushed to origin (or the remote the user uses with gh).
   • Check for an existing PR: gh pr list --head "$(git branch --show-current)". If one exists, stop and recommend gh-pr-summary unless the user explicitly wants a second PR (unusual).

3. Choose base branch

   • Default to the repo default branch (main or master) unless the user names another base.
   • Use that base for comparing commits and diff: origin/<base>..HEAD.
   • Note: These commands assume origin is the remote name. If using a different remote (e.g., in a fork), replace origin with your remote name.

4. Gather context

   • Commits: git log --reverse --format='%s%n%b' "origin/<base>..HEAD" (or equivalent range if not using origin).
   • Diff: git diff "origin/<base>...HEAD" when commit subjects are vague, noisy, or squashed.
   • Do not use git-commit’s staged-diff script for the full PR: that script reflects the index only. Branch-wide PR copy must reflect the range against the base branch.

5. Derive the title

   • Read all commit subjects (and bodies if needed) in origin/<base>..HEAD.
   • Compress them into one simple sentence that covers the branch as a whole.
   • If any included commits use emoji in the subject, keep those emoji in the title when they still match the summary (do not strip them).
   • Use the diff when commit lines are too noisy or contradictory to form one clear sentence.
   • Prefer to keep the title short; GitHub tolerates longer lines but aim for clarity over length.

6. Derive the body

   • Same structure as gh-pr-summary: ## Summary bullets, then ## Test plan.
   • Base content on the branch, not generic filler.
   • Do not invent tests; if unknown, use a clear placeholder in Test plan.

7. Create the PR

   • Run gh pr create with --base, --title, and --body (see reference.md).
   • Show the proposed title and body briefly before running the command unless the user asked to apply without review.
   • Add --draft when the user wants a draft PR.

Rules

• Prefer gh pr create, gh pr list, git log, and git diff for context.
• Never open a PR with main or master as head; branch off first with a change-derived slug, then push.
• Title is one sentence summarizing all commits, preserving commit emoji when present; body rules follow gh-pr-summary.
• Do not use git-commit’s staged-diff script as the sole source for PR scope (it is index-only).

Output shape (body)

Use this structure for the PR body:

## Summary
- Bullet describing the main change
- Bullet describing supporting change or scope

## Test plan
- [ ] Not run locally

Read reference.md for gh pr create examples and title guidance.