Creating a branch from issue in GitLab

Question

I've just started using GitLab, and have created a set of issues, in order to keep an overview of what needs to be done for my application. I was wondering if it was possible to create a branch from these issues, such that the branch and issues are linked, similar as in jira and Stash from atlassian?

Solution 1

If you create a branch with the name <issue-number>-issue-description and push that branch to gitlab, it will automatically be linked to that issue. For instance, if you have an issue with id 654 and you create a branch with name 654-some-feature and push it to gitlab, it will be linked to issue 654.

Gitlab will even ask you if you want to create a merge request and will automatically add Closes #654 to the merge request description which will close issue 654 when the merge request is accepted.

Also if you go to a given issue page on gitlab, you should see a New Branch button which will automatically create a branch with a name of the form <issue-number>-issue-description.

Solution 2

On the Issue screen, you see a green button labeled "Create merge request", with a down-arrow to its right.

That's not a button, that's a drop down list of buttons.

• Click on the down arrow
• Choose "Create branch"
• Click on "Create branch"
• A branch is created from the issue number, plus the title of the branch
  • For example, my issue #2, with title "Test repoSearch with no repos" will have a branch called:
  • 2-test-reposearch-with-no-repos
  • Notice that it changes case to all-lower-case

Comments

[JonasN89]

I was hoping to see a New Branch button, but either its not there or I can't find it. Do you know where it is placed?

[JonasN89]

never mind found the create new branch. It seems like Gitlab created a branch for me for the first issue, without realizing it myself.

[florisla]

Regarding the missing Create Branch button, see @Robert Echlin's answer.

[Zoltán]

@JonasN89 you should consider changing the accepted answer to Robert Echlin's answer because that exactly answers your question.

[molerat]

That button is not displayed for me. Does it have to do with my branch structure (Git Flow) or because it is a fork of a different project?

[Roger Campanera]

Is it posible for GitLab to recognise other name format? For instance, create a branch called feature/2 by default instead of 2-the-title. And, would they be linked by GitLab? That would be a must feature IMHO.

[Michael Kargl]

An observation: the "Create Pull Request for Issue" Button is only visible once an Issue is Non-Confidential.

[ThinkDigital]

@molerat I'm having the issue where it's not showing for me either in the current project. In one project, I have 2 buttons. Show Activity and Create Merge Request. In the other, I only have Show Activity

[fudo]

same here, on some issues the button is displayed while not in others; cannot understand which criteria gitlab uses to show it or not

[Hendrik Pilz]

The repository must not be empty and the 'repository' feature should be enabled in the project settings (Settings > General > Visibility, project features, permissions). Tested on Gitlab 13.8.7 / Docker.

[Jubilsoft-Scott]

See this issue regarding the Merge Request button not displaying on the Issue screen.

[Timothy L.J. Stewart]

@RogerCampanera it seems the only option for Gitlab is feature/2-<some-branch> then when you do a merge request add #2 in the comment box and it will link then, you could just do a MR right from the start to link it. From what I can tell on Gitbhub you can link pull-request to feature/2-<some-branch> but doesn't have the autolinking of 2-<some-branch> like GitLab