Branching strategies in Git have become crucial tools to enhance the web development experience. These approaches enable web developers to collaborate on a project while maintaining multiple versions of the primary codebase.
In short, a team can work on new features independently without affecting the main codebase.
A well-constructed Git strategy improves project collaboration and code deployment speeds several times.
Best Git Branching Strategies
In this post, we explore some top Git branching strategies, along with their pros and cons. So without any delay, let’s get started.
Trunk Based Development (TBD)
Trunk-based development or TBD is a version control management approach. The strategy supports a single shared branch known as the ‘trunk’. It allows developers to merge frequent updates to a core trunk (main branch).
TBD lets developers create short-lived branches with a handful of small commits.
Trunk-based development improves organizational performance by reformatting integration phases and merging. As a result, it helps programmers achieve continuous integration and continuous delivery.
Pros
- TBD supports frequent integration of code changes into the main branch.
- As it supports automated testing, bugs are identified quickly.
- It provides better team collaboration.
Cons
- Short-lived branches might hinder the ability to isolate complex features.
- TBD is reliant on CI/CD practices to maintain stability.
Git-Flow
Git-Flow is another renowned branching model for Git. It has various branch responsibilities. For example, main/master for the production, feature for new features, a hotfix for urgent bug fixes in production, develop for active development, and more.
Introduced by Vincent Driessen, this branching model provides a structured approach to organizing branches. Usually, the Git-Flow strategy includes the following branches.
Master
This branch contains production-ready codes.
Develop
As the name indicates, the development branch supports ongoing development and integration of new features.
Git-flow features auxiliary branches that facilitate different stages of development and release management.
Pros
- Git Flow is suitable for a large team.
- Users can manage multiple product versions impeccably.
- It provides clear responsibility for each branch.
- Users can navigate to different production versions via tags.
Cons
- Due to multiple branches, some users might find it complex.
- Since the branch supports multi-step processes, development, and release frequency may become slow.
GitHub Flow
GitHub Flow is one of the lightweight and straightforward Git branching strategies. Suitable for limited-sized teams and projects, the strategy supports quick bug-fixing. Furthermore, it has numerous other exciting features.
GitHub Flow is used with GitHub, which is a popular hosting service for Git repositories. It keeps the main branch deployable all the time.
The workflow of GitHub Flow utilizes two branches. These include:
Main
The GitHub Flow workflow starts with the main branch containing the newest stable code that is ready for release.
Feature
Web developers can create feature branches from the main branch. These branches allow them to work on new features. The feature branch gets merged into the main branch after the completion of the feature.
As soon as the merge is complete, developers remove the feature branch. It helps them keep the repository organized and clean.
Pros
- GitHub Flow is easy to learn and use. Even beginners can employ it.
- It supports quick feedback loops by enabling developers to merge their changes into the main branch before releasing them.
- GitHub Flow is flexible enough to meet the requirements of different teams. Teams can utilize feature flags to manage new features released to production.
Cons
- GitHub Flow might be challenging to manage in complex projects. Coordinating merges and keeping the main branch stable can be difficult.
GitLab Flow
If you are looking for a powerful Git branching strategy that can be scaled as per the requirements, GitLab Flow is an ideal choice.
The branching strategy is designed for developers who use GitLab repository manager. It makes the development process straightforward by focusing on a single, protected branch, usually the main branch.
The GitLab Flow workflow has the following four branches.
Main
This primary branch comprises the latest stable code ready for release.
Develop
The GitLab Flow’s workflow begins with the develop branch. This branch holds bug fixes and new features.
Features
The branch allows developers to form feature branches straight from the develop branch to work on new features.
Release
Before every new release, a release branch is formed using the develop branch.
This branch helps users stage the new features and fix bugs for the release. Later on, developers merge the release branch into the develop and main branches.
Pros
- GitLab Flow is powerful and easy to scale.
- You get a clear code separation from production-ready code.
- For each feature, you get an independent feature development.
- Separate branches let users work together on different features.
Cons
- Merging the feature branches into the develop branch might cause conflicts sometimes.
- Beginners might find this strategy a bit complicated.
Conclusion
So these are some of the best Git branching strategies. We explained their uses along with their strengths and weaknesses. Now you can make an informed decision. Choose the one that better aligns with your release approach, project type, collaboration requirement, and team size.
