Best Practices for Git Workflows and Branch Management

Techie     May 2023

Introduction

Git is a popular version control system used by Rails developers to manage changes, collaborate with others, and maintain code quality. However, using Git effectively requires more than just basic knowledge of its commands. In this article, we’ll explore some best practices for Git workflows and branch management in Rails apps, with practical examples to illustrate each point.


Use a Branching Model

A branching model is a strategy for organizing your Git branches based on the workflow of your team. There are several popular branching models, but one that works well for Rails apps is the Gitflow model.

Gitflow separates branches into two main types: long-lived branches and short-lived branches. Long-lived branches are used to represent the overall state of your codebase, such as production or staging environments. Short-lived branches are used for feature development, bug fixes, and other changes that are not yet ready for release.

Using Gitflow, you can create a “develop” branch to represent the current state of your development work. When a feature or bug fix is ready for testing, it can be merged into the “develop” branch. Once the “develop” branch has accumulated enough changes, it can be merged into a “release” branch for final testing and then into the “master” branch for production release.

Here’s an example of how to create a new feature branch using Gitflow:


$ git flow feature start new-feature


This command creates a new branch named “feature/new-feature” based on the current state of the “develop” branch. You can then make changes to this branch and commit them as usual.

When you’re done with the feature, you can use the following command to merge it back into the “develop” branch:


$ git flow feature finish new-feature


This command merges the changes from the “feature/new-feature” branch into the “develop” branch and deletes the “feature/new-feature” branch.


Keep Branches Small and Focused

When working on a feature or bug fix, it’s tempting to create a large branch that includes multiple changes. However, this can make it difficult to review and merge your code later. Instead, it’s best to keep your branches small and focused on a single change.

Using small, focused branches makes it easier to review and merge changes because the changes are easier to understand. Additionally, small branches can be merged more quickly, reducing the time between when a change is completed and when it’s released.

Here’s an example of how to create a new branch for a small change:


$ git checkout -b fix-bug


This command creates a new branch named “fix-bug” based on the current state of the branch you’re currently on. You can then make the necessary changes and commit them as usual.

When you’re done with the change, you can use the following command to merge it back into the original branch:


$ git checkout original-branch
$ git merge fix-bug


This command merges the changes from the “fix-bug” branch into the “original-branch” branch.


Use Pull Requests for Code Review

Code review is an important part of maintaining code quality in your Rails app. Pull requests (PRs) are a Git feature that allows you to submit your changes for review before they are merged into a branch.

Using PRs for code review has several benefits. First, it allows other members of your team to review your changes and provide feedback before they are merged. This can help catch bugs and improve the overall quality of your code. Second, PRs can be used to track of changes over time, making it easier to understand why certain decisions were made.

To use PRs for code review, you can create a branch for your changes and then submit a pull request to the branch you want to merge your changes into. Other members of your team can then review your changes and provide feedback before the changes are merged.

Here’s an example of how to create a pull request using GitHub:

1 . Create a new branch for your changes:


$ git checkout -b my-feature


2 . Push the branch to GitHub:


$ git push origin my-feature


3 . Create a pull request on GitHub:


Once the pull request is submitted, other members of your team can review the changes and provide feedback. You can make additional changes based on the feedback and push them to the same branch. GitHub will automatically update the pull request with the new changes.

When the pull request is approved, you can merge the changes into the target branch. GitHub provides an option to merge the changes using a merge commit, which creates a new commit that represents the merge. This commit includes a message that summarizes the changes that were merged, making it easier to understand the history of the code.


Use Rebase to Keep Branches Up-to-Date

When working on a long-lived branch, such as the “develop” branch, it’s important to keep it up-to-date with the latest changes from other branches. This can be done using the “merge” command, which combines the changes from two branches into a new commit.

However, merging can create a messy history, with multiple merge commits that make it difficult to understand the changes over time. To avoid this, you can use the “rebase” command instead.

Rebasing takes the changes from one branch and applies them on top of another branch. This creates a linear history, with a single branch representing the changes over time. Rebasing can make it easier to understand the history of your code and to identify the cause of bugs or issues.

Here’s an example of how to use rebase to keep your branch up-to-date:

1 . Checkout the branch you want to rebase:


$ git checkout my-feature


2 . Fetch the latest changes from the remote repository:


$ git fetch origin


3 . Rebase your changes on top of the latest changes:


$ git rebase origin/develop


This command takes the changes in your “my-feature” branch and applies them on top of the latest changes in the “develop” branch.

After the rebase is complete, you may need to resolve any conflicts that arise. Once the conflicts are resolved, you can push your changes to the remote repository using the “push” command.


Conclusion

Using Git effectively is essential for maintaining code quality and collaborating with others on your Rails app. By following these best practices for Git workflows and branch management, you can ensure that your code is well-organized, easy to understand, and ready for release.

Remember to use a branching model, keep branches small and focused, use pull requests for code review, and use rebase to keep your branches up-to-date. With these practices in place, you’ll be well on your way to developing high-quality Rails apps that are easy to maintain and extend.


Thanks for reading, see you in the next one!