Feature branch workflow in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Feature branch workflow

Start on main branch

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Create feature branch

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Work on feature branch

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Commit changes

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Push feature branch to remote

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Open Pull Request

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Code Review & Approve

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Merge feature branch into main

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Delete feature branch

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Update local main branch

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End

This flow shows how a developer creates a separate branch for a feature, works on it, pushes it, and merges it back to main after review.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout -b feature/login
# work on login feature
git add .
git commit -m "Add login feature"
git push origin feature/login
git checkout main
git merge feature/login

This code creates a feature branch, commits changes, pushes it, then merges it back to main.

Process Table

Step	Command	Action	Branch	Result
1	git checkout -b feature/login	Create and switch to feature branch	feature/login	Switched to new branch 'feature/login'
2	git add .	Stage changes	feature/login	Changes staged for commit
3	git commit -m "Add login feature"	Commit staged changes	feature/login	Commit created with message 'Add login feature'
4	git push origin feature/login	Push feature branch to remote	feature/login	Branch 'feature/login' pushed to remote
5	git checkout main	Switch back to main branch	main	Switched to branch 'main'
6	git merge feature/login	Merge feature branch into main	main	Feature branch merged into main
7	git branch -d feature/login	Delete local feature branch	main	Deleted branch 'feature/login'
8	git push origin --delete feature/login	Delete remote feature branch	main	Deleted remote branch 'feature/login'

💡 Feature branch merged and deleted, main branch updated with feature

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 4	After Step 6	Final
Current Branch	main	feature/login	feature/login	main	main
Feature Branch Exists Locally	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Feature Branch Exists Remotely	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Main Branch Updated	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we create a new branch instead of working directly on main?

Creating a feature branch isolates your work so main stays stable. See Step 1 where we switch to 'feature/login' branch before making changes.

What happens if you forget to push your feature branch?

Your changes stay local and others can't see them. Step 4 shows pushing the branch to remote, which shares your work.

Why delete the feature branch after merging?

To keep the repository clean and avoid confusion. Steps 7 and 8 show deleting local and remote feature branches after merge.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the current branch after Step 4?

A feature/login

B main

C develop

D None

💡 Hint

Check the 'Current Branch' row in variable_tracker after Step 4

At which step is the feature branch merged into main?

A Step 3

B Step 6

C Step 2

D Step 8

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' column in execution_table for merging

If you skip Step 7 (deleting local branch), what happens?

A Remote branch is deleted automatically

B Main branch is deleted

C Local feature branch remains, possibly causing confusion

D Feature branch is merged again

💡 Hint

Refer to Step 7 in execution_table and variable_tracker for branch existence

Concept Snapshot

Feature Branch Workflow:
- Start on main branch
- Create feature branch: git checkout -b feature/name
- Work and commit on feature branch
- Push feature branch: git push origin feature/name
- Open PR and merge into main
- Delete feature branch locally and remotely
- Update local main branch
Keeps main stable and isolates features.

Full Transcript

The Feature Branch Workflow starts by creating a new branch from main to work on a feature separately. You switch to this new branch, make changes, stage and commit them. Then you push the feature branch to the remote repository so others can see your work. After review, you merge the feature branch back into main. Finally, you delete the feature branch locally and remotely to keep the repository clean. This workflow helps keep the main branch stable and organized.