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Git branch strategies

Current workflow​

Part 1​

New feature / Known bug workflow​

  • From an issue in gitlab, find the Create merge request button. This creates a branch with the name of the issue
  • In you editor, fetch the repos with this new branch git fetch --all
  • Switch to this branch git checkout <name-of your-branch>

Degraded workflow (quick fix)​

  • Switch to a new branch git checkout -b <name-of-the-new-branch>
  • Push this new branch to the server git push --set-upstream origin $(git_current_branch)

Part 2​

  • Make your changes
  • Add them to the staging area
# Add each file
git add <name-of-the-file-to-commit> <name-of-the-file-to-commit-2>
#  or add every file that changed
git add --all
  • Commit them git commit --message "fix: fix the slider" (please follow the conventional commit convention when writing your commit message)
  • Go to github / gitlab's interface and merge from there.
    • Feature / bug: everything is already in place
    • Quick Fix: you'll see a Create merge request button (related to your branch name). Alternatively, go the to branches section of gitlab, find your branch and click the New (merge request).
  • Ensure that all the checks of the CI pipeline pass
  • Merge the content of your branch into main
  • In you editor switch to the main branch git checkout main
  • Pull git pull

Changing git workflow​

The following strategies are the most popular strategies used. In order of complexity, they are:

GitFlow Branch Strategy​

  1. Overview: GitFlow is a branching model that defines a strict branching structure.
  2. Branches:
    • main: Represents production-ready code.
    • develop: Integration branch for ongoing development.
    • feature: Individual features developed in separate branches.
    • release: Prepares for a new production release.
    • hotfix: Addresses critical issues in the production code.
  3. Workflow: Features merge into develop, releases merge into main and develop, hotfixes merge into main and develop.
  4. Pros: Well-defined structure, suitable for larger projects.
  5. Cons: Can be complex for smaller projects, and feature branches may lead to longer development cycles.

GitFlow cheatsheet & tool (avh)

GitFlow Diagram

GitHub Flow Branch Strategy​

  1. Overview: GitHub Flow is a lightweight, simplified branching model.
  2. Branches:
    • main: Represents the main development line.
    • feature: Features developed in individual branches.
  3. Workflow: Developers create feature branches, open pull requests for discussion, and merge directly into the main branch after review.
  4. Pros: Simple and streamlined, encourages continuous delivery.
  5. Cons: May not be suitable for complex release management.

GitLab Flow Branch Strategy​

  1. Overview: GitLab Flow is similar to GitHub Flow with a focus on CI/CD and collaboration.
  2. Branches:
    • main: Represents the main development line.
    • feature: Features developed in individual branches.
    • Production: Represents the production-ready code.
  3. Workflow: Developers create feature branches, open merge requests for discussion, and merge into the main and production branches after review.
  4. Pros: Emphasizes CI/CD, seamless collaboration, and production tracking.
  5. Cons: May require additional setup for CI/CD pipelines.

Resources​