Git flow is a branching model for Git, a popular version control system. The Git flow model is designed to help developers work on large, complex projects by defining strict rules for branching and merging. The basic idea behind Git flow is that there are two main branches in a Git repository: the master branch, which represents the production-ready code, and the develop branch, which contains the latest development changes. When a developer wants to start working on a new feature, they create a new branch off of the develop branch, and when they are ready, they merge their changes back into the develop branch. This allows multiple developers to work on different features simultaneously without interfering with each other’s work. When the code in the develop branch is ready to be released, it is merged into the master branch and tagged with a release number.
Here is a text-based diagram of a Git flow branching model:
A---B---C develop
/
D---E---F---G master
In this diagram, the develop branch (A-B-C) represents the latest development changes, and the master branch (D-E-F-G) represents the production-ready code. When a developer wants to start working on a new feature, they create a new branch off of the develop branch. For example, if a developer wants to add a new feature, they might create a branch called feature1:
A---B---C---H feature1
/
D---E---F---G master
When the developer is finished working on the feature1 branch, they can merge their changes back into the develop branch, using a merge commit:
A---B---C---H---I develop
/
D---E---F---G master
Once the code in the develop branch has been tested and is ready to be released, it can be merged into the master branch and tagged with a release number:
A---B---C---H---I---J develop
/
D---E---F---G---K master
The Git flow model is just one way of using Git for branching and merging. There are many other branching models and strategies, and the best one for your project will depend on your specific needs.
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