Jim Roton’s Post

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Owner, Struct Development

Branching and Merging is the first step to setting up a new repository, and many would argue one of the most important. It sets the tone for how you will handle your code commits and impacts much of the work you do down the road. Most people use a strategy that they know, without really considering other strategies, or which might be best for their current project. This four-part series on Branching and Merging will give you a great opportunity to consider other strategies and the benefits of each.

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We are kicking this week’s Dev-Talk Tuesday off with a 4-part series discussing branching and merging with developer Jim Roton! Branching and merging are fundamental concepts in version control systems like Git, pivotal for collaborative software development. Branching and merging are how developers work on changes and merge them back into the mainline (main codebase). - Branching involves creating a divergent copy of a codebase, allowing teams to work on distinct features or fixes in isolation, shielding stable code from disruption. - Merging integrates these divergent branches back into the mainline (main codebase), consolidating disparate changes into a cohesive whole. It's the linchpin of collaboration, enabling developers to synchronize their efforts seamlessly and maintain a coherent codebase. This week, we'll delve into the trunk strategy, one of the four primary approaches to branching and merging in version control systems, alongside release flow, GitHub flow, and Gitflow. Trunk is the simplest form of branching and merging. It contains only a “Main (or master)” branch that is always in a deployable state. Features and bugs are worked in Main. Even though trunk is the simplest strategy, senior developers and above should be the one’s to work in the trunk strategy due to the complexity of working straight on the "main" branch. In the Trunk strategy, developers follow a streamlined process where they commit code directly to the "Main" branch, then create a version tag for deployment. This approach ensures that the “main” branch is consistently deployable, with continuous and rapid development facilitated by direct commits to “main”. Bugs are addressed in a fix forward fashion, maintaining the momentum of development. Additionally, feature flags are utilized to conceal incomplete features, allowing for a seamless development experience. As we delve deeper into the four strategies throughout these next few weeks, we aim to provide valuable insights into its implementation and benefits, empowering developers to optimize their branching and merging practices for efficient and collaborative software development. Tune in next week as we discuss our next strategy: Release Flow! #branching #merging #codingcommunity #github #tech #webdevelopment #structdevelopment

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