Should we enable pull request auto-merge?

[bluetech]

GitHub now allows to set a PR to "auto-merge", meaning that once it passes CI and gets an approval it is automatically merged, without a human having to press the button: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/automatically-merging-a-pull-request

The feature needs to be enabled for the repository: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/github/administering-a-repository/managing-auto-merge-for-pull-requests-in-your-repository

and then for each PR specifically (IIUC).

The main use case I'm thinking of is that a PR is already approved but still waiting on CI (which can take ~15-20 minutes) and then we need to remember to go back and actually merge it which is somewhat annoying. Also during release there is a series of PRs which could benefit for it.

Potential downside is that the auto-merge is enabled for a PR and it is merged in a state we wouldn't merge otherwise, for example a lot of commits that we would normally squash, or a PR which wants more than one approval, etc.

So what does everyone think - should we enable it?

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

until we have a way to control approval/commits we want to squash i am -1 on it

that being said im hugely in favor of solving the 2 issues and enabling auto-merge

[nicoddemus]

We could make a convention to only actually leave an Approval once the PR history is ready (squashed or otherwise clean).

About needing more than one approval, that rarely happens, but I understand the sentiment, sometimes one approves but leaves a "would like for someone else to take a look as well before merging". Ideally the feature could be enabled, but when approving you are given the option to also auto-merge once CI passes. This would solve this issue, I believe.

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

we could take a look at using draft prs more to see how it plays out

[The-Compiler]

Looking at the docs we can still squash-merge and also this needs to be triggered manually - so the only thing that would change is that you can click "enable automerge" instead of having to wait for the CI and merging then. I don't think this means anything will be merged automatically just because it has an approve.

[nicoddemus]

Ahh thanks for looking it up @The-Compiler! That's great then, shall we enable it?

[The-Compiler]

Yup! @bluetech beat me to it 🙂

[bluetech]

OK, so assuming we have a policy of only clicking the "enable automerge" for PRs which are ready for it, that should be safe.

I enabled it now!