Git Flow is a branching model designed to manage collaborative software development. It provides a structured approach to handling features, bug fixes, and releases. Here's a concise breakdown:

Core Concepts 📌

  • Main Branch: The primary development line (main or master)
  • Feature Branches: Isolated branches for new features (feature/*)
  • Release Branches: Used for preparing releases (release/*)
  • Hotfix Branches: For urgent bug fixes in production (hotfix/*)

Workflow Steps 🔄

  1. Start with main branch
    git_flow_workflow
  2. Create a feature branch 
    git checkout -b feature/new-feature
  3. Develop and commit changes
    📝 Always write clear, concise commit messages
    feature_branch
  4. Merge feature branch into main
    ⚠️ Use git merge --no-ff to preserve history
  5. Create release branch for stable version
    release_branch
  6. Merge release into main and tag the release
    ✅ Tagging follows semantic versioning (e.g., v1.2.3)

Best Practices 📈

  • Keep feature branches short-lived ✅
  • Avoid merging unrelated branches ❌
  • Use pull requests for code reviews 📄
  • Regularly sync with upstream changes 🔄
  • team_collaboration

Extend Your Knowledge 📚

Learn about Git commit messages best practices to enhance your workflow efficiency.