gh-pr-view

View the pull request associated with the current branch

$ gh pr view

$ gh pr view [123]

$ gh pr view [[-w|--web]]

$ gh pr view [123] [[-c|--comments]]

gh pr view [PR-NUMBER | PR-URL | BRANCH] [OPTIONS]

PR-NUMBER
    The numerical ID of the pull request to view.

PR-URL
    The full URL of the pull request.

BRANCH
    The name of the branch associated with the pull request.

-c, --cached
    Optional. View cached pull request information, skipping a fresh fetch from the remote.

-d , --diff-context
    Optional. Specify the number of context lines to show around diff hunks.

-w, --word-diff
    Optional. Show differences on a word-by-word basis.

-s, --stat
    Optional. Display a summary of changes, showing additions, deletions, and file modifications.

-b , --base
    Optional. The base branch to use for comparing changes. Defaults to the pull request's base branch.

-B, --browser
    Optional. Open the pull request in your default web browser.

--no-color
    Optional. Disable colored output in the terminal.

--unified
    Optional. Force a unified diff format.

--comments
    Optional. Explicitly show comments. (Often default behavior).

--no-comments
    Optional. Hide all comments associated with the pull request.

--summary
    Optional. Show a brief summary of the pull request and exit.

--header
    Optional. Show a header in addition to the summary when using --summary.

--json
    Optional. Output the pull request data in JSON format.

--oneline
    Optional. Output a concise summary of the pull request on a single line.

--web
    Optional. An alias for --browser, opening the pull request in a web browser.

--help
    Optional. Display help information for the command.

The gh-pr-view command is a powerful GitHub CLI extension designed to enhance the experience of reviewing pull requests directly from your terminal. It provides an interactive pager that displays comprehensive details about a pull request, including its description, status, associated diffs, and comments. With features like syntax highlighting for code changes and customizable diff contexts, developers can efficiently review code without needing to switch to a web browser. It supports viewing pull requests by number, URL, or branch name, making it highly flexible. Beyond just viewing, it offers options to show word-level diffs, diff statistics, or even open the pull request directly in a web browser. This tool significantly streamlines the pull request review workflow for command-line aficionados.

The gh-pr-view command is a GitHub CLI extension, not a built-in gh command. It must be installed separately using gh extension install ddr/gh-pr-view. Its functionality relies on the GitHub CLI being properly authenticated and configured. Performance may vary with very large diffs or numerous comments, and network connectivity is required for fresh fetches.

To use gh-pr-view, you must first install it as a GitHub CLI extension:

gh extension install ddr/gh-pr-view

Ensure you have the GitHub CLI installed and authenticated before attempting to install the extension.

The behavior of gh-pr-view can be influenced by standard Git and GitHub CLI configurations, such as your default pager (e.g., LESS environment variable). Customizations for diff context and other display settings are handled directly via command-line flags.

When viewing a pull request, the command typically uses a pager like less, allowing you to navigate the content using standard pager commands (e.g., arrow keys for scrolling, q to quit). The content includes the PR's description, status, formatted diffs, and comments.

The gh-pr-view command was developed by ddr as a community extension for the GitHub CLI. It emerged from the need for a more robust and interactive command-line interface for reviewing pull requests, going beyond the basic summary provided by the core gh pr view command. Its development leverages the extensibility of the GitHub CLI, allowing users to augment its capabilities with custom tools. Since its initial release, it has gained popularity among developers who prefer a terminal-centric workflow, continually evolving with new features and improvements driven by community contributions and feedback.

gh(1), gh pr list(1), gh pr checkout(1), less(1)