# `branches`

PullApprove runs when a `CODEREVIEW.toml` is found in the branch's base commit. The configuration is always pulled from the base branch, which means a PR can't modify the requirements for its own review.

There may be branches where the `CODEREVIEW.toml` is present, but you don't want PullApprove to run (usually because it will run later in a subsequent PR). The top-level `branches` setting can be used to define when PullApprove runs.

```toml
branches = ["main", "develop"]
```

Branch names are evaluated using fnmatch syntax, and can also use git-style range syntax to specify both head and base branches.

```toml
branches = [
    "main",  # base only
    "release/*",  # base with pattern
    "feature/*..develop",  # base and head
    "..develop",  # head only
]
```

## Advanced branch patterns

### Range syntax with `..` and `...`

PullApprove supports two types of range syntax for matching branch combinations:

#### Two-dot syntax (`..`)
The `..` syntax matches pull requests where the base branch matches the left pattern and the head branch matches the right pattern.

```toml
branches = [
    "feature/*..develop",     # feature branches → develop
    "hotfix/*..main",         # hotfix branches → main  
    "release/*..main",        # release branches → main
]
```

#### Three-dot syntax (`...`)
The `...` syntax works the same as `..` - it matches base and head branch patterns.

```toml
branches = [
    "feature/*...develop",    # equivalent to feature/*..develop
    "hotfix/*...main",        # equivalent to hotfix/*..main
]
```

### Head-only and base-only patterns

You can match only the head or base branch by omitting one side of the range:

```toml
branches = [
    "..develop",              # any branch → develop
    "main..",                 # main → any branch
    "feature/*..",            # feature/* → any branch
]
```

### Pattern matching examples

```toml
branches = [
    # Simple base branch matching
    "main",
    "develop", 
    "release/*",
    
    # Feature branch workflow
    "feature/*..develop",     # features merge to develop
    "develop..main",          # develop merges to main
    "hotfix/*..main",         # hotfixes merge to main
    
    # Release workflow  
    "release/*..main",        # releases merge to main
    "release/*..develop",     # releases also merge back to develop
    
    # Head-only patterns
    "..main",                 # any branch merging to main
    "..develop",              # any branch merging to develop
]
```

### Complex workflow example

For a GitFlow-style workflow:

```toml
branches = [
    # Development
    "feature/*..develop",
    "bugfix/*..develop", 
    
    # Releases
    "develop..main",
    "release/*..main",
    "release/*..develop",
    
    # Hotfixes
    "hotfix/*..main",
    "hotfix/*..develop",
]
```