Git Flow is a branching model for Git that provides guidelines for managing feature branches, release branches, and hotfix branches. The main branches are master, which always reflects a production-ready state, and develop, which contains testable code without incomplete features. Supporting branches like feature, release, and hotfix branches have a limited lifetime and are used for parallel development, preparing releases, and quickly fixing production issues. Feature branches branch off develop and must merge back into it, release branches branch off develop and must merge back into both develop and master, and hotfix branches may branch off master and must merge into both master and develop.

1. Git Flow
A Git branching model

2. Why git?
1. Git is Fast
2. Git is Small
3. Distributed
4. GitHub
5. Git is the new standard
6. Easy to Learn( 21 commands)
7. Cheap Local Branching

3. Decentralized but centralized

4. GIT FLOW

5. The Main Branches
The central repo holds two main
branches with an infinite lifetime:
1. master(always reflects a production-ready state)
2. develop( testable code, without any incomplete
features or code)

6. Supporting Branches
1. Supporting branches are used for:
a. parallel development between team members
b. ease tracking of features
c. prepare for production releases
d. assist in quickly fixing live production problems
2. These branches always have a limited lifetime
Type of branches:
1. Feature branches
2. Release branches
3. Hotfix branches
4. Issue Branches
5. Your choice

7. Feature Branches
Branch off from: develop
Must merge back into: develop
Branch naming convention: feature-*
1. used to develop new features for the upcoming or a
distant future release
2. exists as long as the feature is in development
3. can be merged back into develop ( to add new
features)
4. or discarded (in case of a disappointing experiment)
5. Feature branches can be local branches or pushed to
origin if more developers are working on same feature

8. Release Branches
Branch off from: develop
Must merge back into: develop and master
Branch naming convention: release-*
1. preparation of a new production release
2. allow for minor bug fixes
3. meta-data for a release (version number, build dates, etc.)
When?
develop branch (almost) reflects the desired state of the new
release.

9. Hotfix branches
May branch off from: master
Must merge back into: develop and master
Branch naming convention: hotfix-*
When?
a critical bug in a production version must
be resolved immediately

10. Issue Branches
Must Branch off from: develop
Must merge back into: develop
Branch naming convention: issue#:issueId
IMP: mention #issueId in commit message.
This will link issue and the commit on github
When?
Issues are logged against you on github
issue tracker.

12. Branch Per Task Approach:
1. Nobody must ever work on develop or master branch.
2. Always create a new branch for every task/issue/feature
3. Write code.
4. Test
5. Merge it back
6. Next task/feature/issue

13. Starting a task/feature/issue
1. switch to develop branch ( : git checkout develop)
2. pull latest develop from origin ( : git pull origin develop )
3. create new branch ( : git branch branch-name )
4. Switch to newly created branch( : git checkout branch-name)
5. Continue working….

14. After completing task/feature/issue
1. commit your code( : git commit -a -m “commit message” )
2. pull develop into current branch to make sure your code works with
latest develop branch(if updated by someone)(imp)
3. test functionality again
4. switch to develop branch ( : git checkout develop)
5. merge the task branch into develop ( : git merge branch-name)
6. delete branch branch-name ( : git branch -d branch-name )
7. Push develop back to origin ( : git push origin develop )
8. Next task / feature / issue

15. Things to remember:
1. Never perform more than one task in same branch
2. Use stashing if you don’t want to commit your code but still want to
checkout other branch or use later
3. Strictly follow naming conventions for branches and commit
messages
4. Delete branches once merged completely

16. Pull Requests:( Github )
1. Allows to review the code and then merge( not a git feature )
2. Open source project are managed with this approach

17. Thank You