What is Git Flow and How to use Git Flow

Working on the same code with a team can get messy. For instance, features, bug fixes, and releases often overlap, causing confusion. Fortunately that’s where Git Flow helps. It’s an easy-to-follow workflow that will keep everything organized so your team can work smoothly without stepping on each other’s toes.

Using Git Flow will know exactly where new features come in, bugs are fixed, and releases are prepared-all of these things while keeping the main code stable.

Table of Content

• • • What is Gitflow?
    • The Git Flow Diagram
    • How it works?
    • Feature branches
    • Release branches
    • Hotfix branches
    • How to use Git Flow in GitKraken Desktop
    • Conclusion

What Is Gitflow?

Software developer Vincent Driessen first presented Git flow, a well-liked branching technique for Git that aims to streamline release management, in 2010. At its core, Git flow is separating your work into several Git branches. In addition, it briefly discusses other branching strategies like GitLab Flow and GitHub Flow.

“Now that we understand what Gitflow is, let’s visualize its structure and workflow with the Git Flow diagram, which offers a clear representation of how branches are organized.”

The Git Flow Diagram

Gitflow Process

Assume that you are working in a software development house and that your supervisor assigned you a task, meanwhile your team members are working on the development branch.

• From develop, create a feature branch.
• Make your modifications on the feature branch.
• When the feature branch is ready, merge it back into develop.
• Develop is merged into main via the deployment manager.
• The production servers use your main branch.

Gitflow Model

 This structure shows what happens after a release candidate build has been done, including which there is for automatic nightly builds, features worked on in parallel that are being developed in the private branches of the developers, and what happens after a release candidate build has been created. As you can see, development branching methods get pretty complicated. When depicted on paper or on a whiteboard, they’re much easier to follow.

“With the Git Flow diagram in mind, let’s dive deeper into how this workflow operates step by step, ensuring a seamless development process.”

How It Works?

In essence, this approach records the project history using two branches rather than a single main branch. As a result, it ensures better organization and clarity.. The develop branch acts as a feature integration git branch, whereas the main branch houses the official release history. Adding a version number to each commit in the main branch is also practical.

Adding a develop branch to the default main is the first step. This may be accomplished simply by having one developer locally generate an empty develop branch and push it to the server:

“Now that we’ve explored the overall workflow, let’s break it down further by understanding the role of feature branches, the cornerstone of Git Flow.”

Feature Branches

A feature branch is the core of Git Flow;

It allows one to work independently on a specific feature without interfering in the main codebase. They offer a secure, isolated environment for development, easing collaboration and version control.

Key Features of Feature Branches

Starting Point:

• From the develop branch.
• This ensures the feature branch starts with the latest updates.

Naming Convention:

• Use a descriptive prefix like feature/.
• Example: feature/user-authentication or feature/shopping-cart.

Ending Point:

The feature is complete and tested, it is merged back to the develop branch.

Purpose of Feature Branches

• Isolate the development of a specific feature or task.
• To enable team members to work independently on various features.
• It primarily maintains the stability of the develop and main branches during active development.
• The most prevalent branch type in Git Flow is the feature branch. It is employed to provide your code new capabilities.

Advantages of Feature Branches

• Isolated Development: Every feature has its branch so that no one interferes with the other works.
• Improved Collaboration: Different members can work on different features at the same time.
• Less Conflicting: As all changes are isolated, the chances of conflict with the main development branch are minimized.
• Better Code Review: Feature branches make it easier to review and test codes before a merge.

Best Practices for Feature Branches

• Keep feature branches small, with one task in focus.
• Test thoroughly before merging into development.
• Use meaningful commit messages so the progress is clear to track.
• Update your feature branch frequently with changes from development to avoid big merge conflicts.

By using feature branches, Git Flow makes it easy to manage and integrate new features in your project without sacrificing stability or encouraging peer collaboration.

“Once features are developed and merged, the next step is preparing the code for production, which is where release branches come into play.”

Release Branch

The use of release branches is to prepare code for production; they are used as a last staging area for bug fixes, testing, and documentation update prior to a version being released. This means that the code could be clean and ready for production while releasing without interfering with the ongoing development in the develop branch.

Purpose of Release Branches

• Finalize new version by fixing minor bugs and updating configurations.
• Act as a buffer between development and production.
• This allows developers to continue new feature development in the develop branch while finalizing the release.

Key Features of Release Branches

Starting Point:

• Created from the develop branch at the point where it is feature complete and ready for release preparation.

Ending Point:

• Merge into main (for production) and develop (to apply last changes).

Naming Convention:

• Choose a descriptive prefix, preferably release/.
• Example: release/v1.0 or release/v2.3.

It is recommended that new production releases be prepared using the release branch. Release branches are usually used to work on small problems and finishing touches that are unique to releasing new code; these issues should be fixed independently of the main develop branch.

Advantages of Release Branches

• Clean Testing Environment: It will separate the preparation of the release from actively developing new features.
• Concurrent Work Streams: Developers can deliver a release while others are developing new functionality.
• Release with Less Noise: Guarantees the production code is stable, tested, and reviewed.

Good Practice Followed at Release Branch

• In the release branch, try to maintain changes as minimally as possible, as well as fixes and document changes.
• Do not introduce new features in the release branch
• Tag the releases clearly for versioning.
• Communicate with the team to freeze feature development during release preparation, if needed.

The transition from development to deployment is facilitated by release branches. They maintain a steady output and an effective workflow.

Release branches concentrate on getting the code ready for deployment, but occasionally serious problems occur in production that need to be fixed right away. Hotfix branches come into play here.

Hotfix Branches

If you need to make modifications to your main branch rapidly, you use the Hotfix Branches: Solving Critical Issues Quickly
branch in Git flow.

The hotfix branch’s base should be your main branch, which should then be merged back into the development and main branches. To make sure the fix remains in place when the main branch is deployed again, you must merge the modifications from your hotfix branch back into the develop branch.

Purpose of Hotfix Branches

• Apply hotfix directly to production (main).
• Ensure that the fixes are also merged into develop to make them part of future updates.
• Production is stable, but downtime needs to be minimized.

Key Characteristics of Hotfix Branches

Starting Point:

• Hotfix branch is created directly from the main branch, as the problem is already in production.

Ending Point:

• Both the main for quick deployment and develop for integration into the development flow.

Naming Convention:

• Use a descriptive prefix as hotfix/.
• For Example: hotfix/login-bug or hotfix/security-patch.

Good Practices for Hotfix Branches

• Testing is key: Ensure the fix is reliable and does not introduce new bugs.
• Use hotfix branches to solve the critical problem – avoid pushing unrelated changes.
• Clearly name hotfix branches and commit messages and use appropriate traceability.

Let the team know that there is a fix and what it does.

Hotfix branches are an important thing in the management of emergencies by Git Flow as they enable teams to respond quickly to production issues while keeping code integrity across all branches.

“Now that we’ve covered the key branches in Git Flow, let’s see how you can implement this workflow seamlessly using GitKraken Desktop.”

How to Use Git Flow in Gitkraken Desktop

• After discussing the definition of Git flow, let’s see how to apply it in GitKraken Desktop.
• Follow these steps to begin utilizing a Git flow workflow in GitKraken Desktop:
• Go to the top toolbars and select Preferences.
  Choose Gitflow from the left panel, configure the branch name conventions that you want, and Click the green “Initialize Gitflow” button after selecting.
• A Gitflow section now appears at the top of the left panel when you depart Preferences. From here,
• You may start and finish feature, release, and hotfix branches with the aid of GitKraken Desktop.

For instance, it’s likely that most developers will select “Feature” before naming and creating their feature branch:

After your feature branch has been accepted, you can use the Gitflow interface to close it. Alternatively, you can decide to rebase the feature branch on develop. This will automatically integrate the feature branch into develop.

“With GitKraken Desktop simplifying Git Flow management, you’re now equipped to streamline your development process. Let’s summarize why adopting Git Flow can be a game-changer for your team.”

Conclusion

Software development is made simpler by the hierarchical branching approach known as Git Flow, which divides work into feature, release, and hotfix branches. It guarantees a seamless workflow from development to production, fosters teamwork, and lessens conflict. Using tools like GitKraken makes Git Flow management even easier, allowing teams to produce reliable, high-caliber software more quickly. By implementing Git Flow, a scalable and predictable development process is produced.

We recommend you take up the Git Certification Training offered by Edureka. Edureka’s Git Certification Training is curated by industry experts to provide expertise in Git tool. The course will cover different components of Git and GitHub such as branching & merging, how to deal with conflicts, rebasing, merge strategies, Git workflows, and how they are used in software development operations. You will get an in-depth knowledge of these concepts and will be able to work on related projects. The Git Certification course creates an understanding about how the industry uses Git in real-time projects. 

FAQ

How to explain Git flow in interview?

Git Flow is a branching model that structures work into feature, release, and hotfix branches. It enhances collaboration and ensures a stable production codebase by organizing development efforts effectively.

What are the 3 states of Git workflow?

• Working Directory: Where changes are made.
• Staging Area: Prepares changes for a commit.
• Repository: Stores committed changes permanently.

What are the 5 steps of Git?

• Initialize a repository (git init).
• Track files (git add).
• Commit changes (git commit).
• Push to a remote repository (git push).
• Pull updates from the remote (git pull).

How to install Git flow?

Use a package manager (e.g., brew install git-flow on macOS or apt-get install git-flow on Linux). After installation, verify it by running git flow version.