A successful Git branching model

For a smooth and non conflicting development experience

The Problem

- Multiple member working on different parts unnecessarily delaying each other.

- Cant release urgent changes because there are uncomplete features in the code .

- Inability to isolate features for testing.

- Inability to revert a specific feature without reverting other features or code changes.

- A lot of time wasted on merge conflicts.

The Goal

- Focus on a specific target while developing.

- Be able to apply urgent changes

- Isolate features for testing.

- Flexibility and ability to revert features or code parts without affecting other parts.

- Ability to work on features for distant releases.

- Reduce merge conflict time.

The model

Main Branches

- Master Branch

- Develop Branch

Support Branches

- Feature branches

- Release branches

- Hotfix branches

Main Branches

- These Branches will always be there and live as long as the project lives

- Master should always reflect a production-ready state.

- Develop reflects a state with the latest delivered development changes for the next release

Support Branches - FeatureFeature branch is used to develop a new feature for the next or a distant release.

May branch off from : develop

Must merge back into : develop

Branch naming convention:

anything except :

master,develop, release-*, or hotfix-*

Support Branches - Feature Create a feature branch from the develop branch

Implement the feature .When done , merge back into develop branch

$ git checkout -b myfeature develop

// do the coding

$ git checkout develop$ git merge --no-ff myfeature$ git branch -d myfeature$ git push origin develop

Support Branches - Release - Should be created once ready or almost done for a new release.

- no new features should be added here

- Clears space for other team members to work on new features from the development branch.

- Changes on this branch should be done to solve bugs found before release

- Metadata , version number ,build data , etc...

May branch off from : developMust merge back into : develop and masterBranch naming convention : release-*

Support Branches - Release - Create a release branch from the develop

branch.

- Update release metadata.

- Solve any found bugs.

- When done , merge into develop branch and release branch

- Give a tag on the master branch

- Delete the branch

$ git checkout -b release-1.2 develop// do the coding $ git commit -a -m "updated version number”

$ git checkout master$ git merge --no-ff release-1.2$ git tag -a 1.2

$ git checkout develop$ git merge --no-ff release-1.2$ git branch -d release-1.2

Support Branches - Hotfix

- Hotfix branches are created when it’s

needed to apply urgent changes or hotfixes for bugs detected on the production that can’t wait for the next release.

- Its behaviour is very similar to a release branch because it eventually creates a new release.

May branch off from : master

Must merge back into : develop and master

Branch naming convention : hotfix-*

Support Branches - Hotfix- Create a hotfix branch from the develop branch.

- Update version.

- Solve any found bugs.

- When done , merge into develop branch and release branch

- Give a tag on the master branch

- Delete the branch

$ git checkout -b hotfix-1.2.1 master// apply hotfix and update version number and metadata etc.. $ git commit -m "Fixed severe production problem"

$ git checkout master$ git merge --no-ff hotfix-1.2.1$ git tag -a 1.2.1

$ git checkout develop$ git merge --no-ff hotfix-1.2.1$ git branch -d hotfix-1.2.1

The Big Picture

Thank you