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Overview

Repo Manager streamlines PR reviews by creating dedicated worktrees for each pull request. This allows you to review code, run tests, and make changes without disrupting your main development workflow.

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Prerequisites

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Install GitHub CLI

The repo wt pr command requires the GitHub CLI (gh): 
# macOS
brew install gh

# Linux
sudo apt install gh  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install gh  # Fedora

# Windows
winget install GitHub.cli

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Authenticate with GitHub

gh auth login
Follow the prompts to authenticate. You can use:
  • Your browser (recommended)
  • A personal access token
Verify authentication: 
gh auth status

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Basic PR Review Workflow

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1. Create a Worktree for the PR

repo wt pr 123
This command (from functions/worktree.zsh:122-176):
  1. Uses gh CLI to fetch PR details
  2. Determines the branch name for the PR
  3. Fetches the PR branch from the remote
  4. Creates a new worktree for that branch
  5. Navigates to the worktree (via hooks)
You’ll see output like: 
Created worktree for PR #123: /path/to/repo/feature-branch

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2. Review the Code

Navigate to the worktree and explore: 
cd feature-branch  # or use repo wt go feature-branch
Review changes: 
# See what changed from main
git diff main

# View commits in the PR
git log main..HEAD

# Check specific files
code src/modified-file.js

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3. Test the Changes

Run tests and verify functionality: 
# Install dependencies if needed
npm install

# Run tests
npm test

# Run the application
npm start

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4. Leave Feedback

Use GitHub CLI to comment directly from the command line: 
# View PR details
gh pr view 123

# Add a comment
gh pr comment 123 --body "LGTM! Tests pass locally."

# Request changes
gh pr comment 123 --body "Please add tests for the new feature."

# Approve the PR
gh pr review 123 --approve

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5. Clean Up After Review

Once the PR is merged or closed, remove the worktree: 
repo wt rm feature-branch
This removes the worktree and cleans up disk space.

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Reviewing Multiple PRs in Parallel

One of the key advantages of worktrees is the ability to review multiple PRs simultaneously.

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Create Multiple PR Worktrees

repo wt pr 123
repo wt pr 124
repo wt pr 125
Each PR gets its own isolated worktree.

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Switch Between Reviews

# List all worktrees
repo wt list

# Navigate to specific PR
repo wt go feature-a  # PR 123
repo wt go feature-b  # PR 124

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Parallel Testing

Run tests in different terminals: 
# Terminal 1
cd feature-a
npm test

# Terminal 2
cd feature-b
npm test

# Terminal 3
cd main
npm test  # Baseline comparison

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Example Multi-PR Workflow

# Morning: Create worktrees for all PRs to review
repo wt pr 101
repo wt pr 102
repo wt pr 103

# Review first PR
cd pr-branch-101
code .
# Review code, run tests, leave feedback

# Review second PR without losing first PR context
repo wt go pr-branch-102
code .
# Review code, run tests

# Compare both PRs side by side
code /path/to/repo/pr-branch-101 /path/to/repo/pr-branch-102

# End of day: Clean up reviewed PRs
repo wt rm pr-branch-101
repo wt rm pr-branch-102

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Best Practices for Code Review with Worktrees

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1. Create PR Worktrees Early

Create worktrees as soon as PRs are ready for review: 
# Check for PRs awaiting review
gh pr list --search "review-requested:@me"

# Create worktrees for each
repo wt pr 123
repo wt pr 124

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2. Keep Your Main Branch Clean

Always review PRs in separate worktrees, never on your main branch: 
# Good: Review in dedicated worktree
repo wt pr 123
cd pr-branch

# Bad: Switching branches in main worktree
cd main
git checkout pr-branch  # Don't do this

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3. Run the Full Test Suite

Before approving, ensure all tests pass: 
cd pr-branch
npm install  # Fresh dependencies
npm test     # Run all tests
npm run lint # Check code style
npm run build # Verify build succeeds

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4. Compare with Base Branch

Always check what changed from the base branch: 
# See all changes
git diff main...HEAD

# See files changed
git diff main...HEAD --name-only

# See commit messages
git log main..HEAD --oneline

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5. Document Your Review Process

Leave clear, actionable feedback: 
gh pr comment 123 --body "Tested locally:
- ✅ Unit tests pass
- ✅ Integration tests pass
- ✅ Manual testing in dev environment
- ⚠️  Found edge case with empty input

Please add validation for empty input."

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6. Clean Up Regularly

Remove worktrees after PRs are merged: 
# Check merged PRs
gh pr list --state merged --limit 10

# Remove old worktrees
repo wt clean

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Advanced Scenarios

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Making Changes to a PR

If you need to push changes to a PR: 
repo wt pr 123
cd pr-branch

# Make changes
vim src/file.js

# Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "Fix: Handle edge case"
git push

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Rebasing a PR During Review

If the PR needs to be updated with latest main: 
cd pr-branch
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Resolve conflicts if any
git push --force-with-lease

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Reviewing Draft PRs

Review drafts the same way: 
repo wt pr 123  # Works for draft PRs too
cd pr-branch
# Provide early feedback
gh pr comment 123 --body "Early feedback: Architecture looks good"

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Comparing Multiple PR Approaches

If there are competing PRs for the same feature: 
# Create worktrees for both approaches
repo wt pr 123  # Approach A
repo wt pr 124  # Approach B

# Compare implementations
diff -u approach-a/src/feature.js approach-b/src/feature.js

# Test both approaches
cd approach-a && npm test
cd approach-b && npm test

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Troubleshooting

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”gh CLI is required” Error

Solution: Install and authenticate with GitHub CLI: 
brew install gh
gh auth login

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“Could not determine branch for PR” Error

Problem: The PR number doesn’t exist or you don’t have access. Solution: Verify the PR exists: 
gh pr view 123

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PR Branch Already Exists

If the worktree already exists: 
Worktree for PR #123 (feature-branch) already exists
Solution: Navigate to existing worktree or remove and recreate: 
repo wt go feature-branch
# or
repo wt rm feature-branch
repo wt pr 123

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Fetch Failures

Problem: Cannot fetch PR from remote. Solution: Check remote configuration: 
git remote -v
gh auth status

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