openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix GitHub: Create two PR templates (small fixes vs substantial changes) [1 comments, 2 participants]

Problem

The current PR template (pull_request_template.md) is comprehensive but overwhelming for small fixes. It has 30+ sections including:

• Summary (4 bullet points required)
• Change Type (5 checkboxes)
• Scope (8 checkboxes)
• Root Cause / Regression History
• Regression Test Plan
• User-visible Changes
• Diagram
• Security Impact (6 questions)
• Repro + Verification
• Evidence
• Human Verification
• Review Conversations
• Compatibility / Migration
• Risks and Mitigations

Impact

• Small fixes (typos, one-line bug fixes) require answering many irrelevant questions
• First-time contributors may abandon PRs due to template length
• Maintainers must scroll through boilerplate to find actual content

Current Template Stats

From .github/pull_request_template.md:

• ~150 lines
• 30+ sections
• ~50 checkboxes/fields

Proposed Solution

Create two templates using GitHub's new PR template directory structure:

.github/
├── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/
│   ├── quick_fix.md      # For small, simple changes
│   └── full_change.md    # For substantial changes (current template)
└── pull_request_template.md  # Fallback/default

Template 1: Quick Fix (quick_fix.md)

## Summary

Briefly describe the fix (1-2 sentences).

Fixes: #issue_number (if applicable)

## Type of Change

- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] Documentation fix
- [ ] Typo/grammar fix

## Verification

- [ ] I tested this locally
- [ ] I verified the fix resolves the issue

## Description

What changed and why (be specific but concise):

Template 2: Full Change (full_change.md) — Current Template

Keep the existing comprehensive template for:

• New features
• Refactors affecting multiple areas
• Security-related changes
• Breaking changes

Selection UI

GitHub will show a template chooser:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Choose a template for your pull request     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ⚡ Quick Fix (bug fixes, typos, docs)      │
│ 📋 Full Change (features, refactors, etc.) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Migration Plan

1. Create .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/ directory
2. Move current template to full_change.md with minor cleanup
3. Create quick_fix.md (20-30 lines vs 150)
4. Update CONTRIBUTING.md to explain template selection
5. Optionally: Add PR template validation bot

Template Comparison

Acceptance Criteria

• .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/ directory created
• quick_fix.md template (≤30 lines)
• full_change.md template (current content)
• Template selection UI works on PR creation
• CONTRIBUTING.md updated with template guidance

References

• Current template: .github/pull_request_template.md
• GitHub docs: https://docs.github.com/communities/using-templates-to-encourage-useful-issues-and-pull-requests/creating-a-pull-request-template-for-your-repository
• Example: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/tree/main/.github

Priority: Low Effort: Low (2 hours) Labels: dx, good first issue