How do I delete a pull request?

Unfortunately, you cannot directly delete a pull request on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Pull requests are designed to be a permanent record of proposed changes. However, there are alternative approaches to effectively "close" or hide a pull request.

Here's a breakdown of the common methods:

1. Closing the Pull Request:

- The most common way is to simply close the pull request. This marks it as resolved and prevents further changes from being added to it. You can close it through the web interface of your Git hosting provider.

2. Merging the Pull Request (if applicable):

- If the changes in the pull request are still valid and desired, merge it into the target branch. After merging, the pull request will be closed automatically.

3. Reverting the Merge (if already merged):

- If the pull request was already merged and you now want to undo those changes, you can revert the merge commit. This will effectively remove the changes introduced by the pull request.

- The command to revert a merge is typically: git revert -m 1 <merge_commit_hash>

- The -m 1 option specifies that you want to revert the main line of the merge (the branch you merged into).

4. Deleting the Branch (with caution):

- While not directly deleting the pull request, you can delete the branch associated with it after closing or merging the pull request. This helps keep your repository clean. However, make sure no other work depends on that branch.

5. Hiding Pull Requests (using platform features):

- Some platforms may offer features to filter or hide closed pull requests in the UI. This can help you focus on active pull requests.

Important Considerations:

- Deleting a branch that's still in use can cause problems for other developers. Coordinate with your team before deleting any branches.

- Closing a pull request doesn't remove its history. The record of the pull request and its associated commits will remain in the repository's history.

In summary, while you can't delete a pull request, closing it and optionally deleting the associated branch are the common practices to manage them effectively. Remember to communicate with your team to avoid any disruptions.

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