Gitflow Workflow Branching Model

Git Oct 13, 2020

This post briefly captures the process of using Gitflow Workflow for version controlling a project. It is a development model introduced by Vincent Driessen which helps form an elegant mental model that is easy to comprehend and allows team members to develop a shared understanding of the branching strategy and releasing management processes.

Read more about the model here, https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/.

Visual Representation of the idea behind the Gitflow Workflow:

Introduction

Git is software for tracking changes in any set of files, usually used for coordinating work among programmers collaboratively developing source code during software development. Its goals include speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows.

Gitflow Workflow is a Git strategy that helps with continuous software development and implementing DevOps practices. It was first published and made popular by Vincent Driessen at nvie. The Gitflow Workflow defines a strict branching model designed around the project release. This provides a robust framework for managing larger projects.

Goals

Clone a remote git repository
Create DEVELOP branch
Create/checkout FEATURE branch
Integrate featureBranch branch with the main code-line
Release code from develop branch
Create a tag representing the release

Minimum Software Requirements

STEP 1 - clone a remote git repository

git clone
clone a remote git repository to a local system.
example - git clone https -//github.com/username/repository.git

STEP 2 - create DEVELOP branch - This is the main code-line

git checkout -b develop
create and switch to a branch called develop
git push -u origin develop
links local develop branch with remote corresponding develop branch
push local branch to remote repository for the first time (first time only)

STEP 3 - create/checkout FEATURE branch

git checkout -b featureBranch
create and switch to a branch called featureBranch

1.1 git add .
add or modify files

1.2 git commit -m "ADD/MODIFY File/s"
commit changes
git push -u origin featureBranch
links local branchName with remote corresponding branch

STEP 4 - integrate featureBranch branch with the main code-line i.e., the DEVELOP branch

git checkout develop
git pull
git merge featureBranch
git push

STEP 5 - release code from develop branch (Normally code is released from a dedicated release branch taken from develop). In this case assume develop contains valid releaseable code.

git checkout main
git pull
git merge develop
git push

STEP 6 - create a tag representing the release

A tag is a special branch which can be setup to read only, giving us the certainity to always have a branch we can go back to in-order to reproduce releaseable code