GitHub Mobile App Bug: 'is:pr' Filter Disappears from Saved Views, Impacting Software Engineering Metrics

In the fast-paced world of software development, efficient issue and pull request management is crucial for tracking progress and maintaining robust software engineering metrics. GitHub's saved views are a powerful tool for this, allowing developers to filter and organize their work. However, a recent discussion in the GitHub Community highlights a critical bug in the iOS mobile app that undermines this functionality, specifically impacting how teams track pull requests and potentially skewing vital software engineering metrics.

The Core Discrepancy: The Vanishing 'is:pr' Filter

As reported by ufukty, the issue stems from an inconsistency between GitHub's web interface and its iOS mobile application regarding saved issue views, often referred to as 'shortcuts' on mobile. Users can create highly specific views to filter issues and pull requests based on various constraints like author, status, or repository. The problem arises when these views are modified or reordered within the iOS app.

Specifically, if a saved view includes the is:pr constraint—designed to show only pull requests—editing or reordering that view via the iOS app causes this crucial filter to disappear when the view is subsequently accessed on the web. A query like this:

user:@me archived:false is:open author:@me is:pr

Gets silently rewritten to:

user:@me archived:false is:open author:@me

This subtle change means a view intended for tracking pull requests suddenly displays all open issues and pull requests, drastically altering its utility.

Impact on Workflow and Software Engineering Metrics

This bug has significant implications for developer productivity and the accuracy of software engineering metrics. Developers rely on these tailored views to quickly assess their workload, monitor team contributions, and track the lifecycle of pull requests. When a view meant for PRs unexpectedly includes issues, it can lead to:

• Misleading Data: Developers might misinterpret the number of open PRs, affecting their ability to gauge progress or identify bottlenecks.
• Inefficient Workflow: Extra time is spent manually re-filtering or recreating views, disrupting focus and flow.
• Skewed Metrics: Any informal or formal software engineering performance metrics derived from these views (e.g., PR review cycles, open PR count) become unreliable, making it harder to align with software developer OKRs.

Beyond 'is:pr': Other Mobile App Limitations

The discussion further highlighted that the 'is:pr' issue isn't an isolated incident. Another community member, cataseven, pointed out that other valuable filters, such as draft:false (to exclude draft pull requests), are not supported on the mobile app at all. This lack of feature parity across platforms creates a fragmented experience, where a powerful query created on the web becomes limited or broken when accessed on a mobile device.

The Path Forward: A Call for Cross-Platform Consistency

The GitHub team acknowledged the feedback, indicating that such insights are crucial for product improvements. The community's message is clear: a seamless, consistent experience across all platforms is essential. For developers to effectively manage their work, track their contributions, and contribute to accurate software engineering metrics, the tools must behave predictably, regardless of whether they're accessed via web or mobile.

Ensuring full filter support and preventing unintended query modifications in the mobile app would significantly enhance developer productivity and reinforce GitHub's role as a reliable platform for project management and collaboration.