Gitflow workflow - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Gitflow Workflow Basics

📖 Scenario: You are working on a software project with a team. To keep your work organized, you use the Gitflow workflow. This workflow helps you manage new features, fixes, and releases in a clean way.

🎯 Goal: You will create the main branches used in Gitflow, add a feature branch, merge it back, and finally prepare a release branch. This will help you understand how Gitflow keeps your project organized.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create the develop branch from main

Create a feature branch called feature/login from develop

Merge feature/login back into develop

Create a release branch called release/1.0.0 from develop

Show the list of branches at the end

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Teams use Gitflow to keep their code organized when many people work on different features and fixes at the same time.

💼 Career

Understanding Gitflow is important for software developers and DevOps engineers to collaborate smoothly and manage releases efficiently.

1

Create the develop branch from main

Create a new branch called develop from the existing main branch using the command git branch develop main.

Git

# Create the develop branch from main
# Your code here

Hint

Use git branch develop main to create the develop branch from main.

2

Create a feature branch called feature/login from develop

Create a new branch called feature/login from the develop branch using the command git branch feature/login develop.

Git

git branch develop main
# Create the feature/login branch from develop
# Your code here

Hint

Use git branch feature/login develop to create the feature branch from develop.

3

Merge feature/login back into develop

Switch to the develop branch using git checkout develop, then merge the feature/login branch into develop using git merge feature/login.

Git

git branch develop main
git branch feature/login develop
# Checkout develop branch
# Your code here
# Merge feature/login into develop
# Your code here

Hint

First switch to develop with git checkout develop, then merge with git merge feature/login.

4

Create a release branch called release/1.0.0 from develop and list branches

Create a new branch called release/1.0.0 from develop using git branch release/1.0.0 develop. Then list all branches using git branch.

Git

git branch develop main
git branch feature/login develop
git checkout develop
git merge feature/login
# Create release/1.0.0 branch from develop
# Your code here
# List all branches
# Your code here

Hint

Use git branch release/1.0.0 develop to create the release branch, then git branch to see all branches.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the develop branch in the Gitflow workflow?

easy

A. It serves as the integration branch for features before release.

B. It contains the production-ready code only.

C. It is used to fix urgent bugs directly in production.

D. It stores experimental code that is not stable.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of the develop branch

   The develop branch is where all completed features are merged and tested together before release.

2. Step 2: Compare with other branches

   The master branch holds production-ready code, hotfix branches fix urgent bugs, and experimental code is not part of Gitflow standard branches.

3. Final Answer:

   It serves as the integration branch for features before release. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Develop = integration branch [OK]

Hint: Develop branch integrates features before release [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing develop with master branch
• Thinking develop is for hotfixes
• Assuming develop holds only stable code

2. Which command correctly starts a new feature branch named login using Gitflow?

easy

A. git flow start feature login

B. git flow feature start login

C. git start feature login

D. git feature start login

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Gitflow feature start syntax

   The correct syntax to start a feature branch is git flow feature start <name>.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   Only git flow feature start login matches the correct syntax exactly. Others have incorrect order or missing 'flow'.

3. Final Answer:

   git flow feature start login -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Feature start = git flow feature start [OK]

Hint: Use 'git flow feature start <name>' to start features [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting 'flow' in the command
• Swapping command word order
• Using 'git start' instead of 'git flow feature start'

3. Given the commands below, what is the final branch after finishing a release?

git flow release start 1.0.0
git flow release finish 1.0.0

medium

A. The branch is switched to master.

B. The branch is switched to develop.

C. The branch remains on release/1.0.0.

D. The branch is switched to feature/1.0.0.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what 'git flow release finish' does

   This command merges the release branch into both master and develop, tags the release, and deletes the release branch.

2. Step 2: Identify the branch after finishing release

   After finishing, Gitflow switches to master branch by default.

3. Final Answer:

   The branch is switched to master. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Release finish switches to master [OK]

Hint: Release finish merges and switches to master [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming branch stays on release
• Thinking it switches to develop
• Confusing feature branches with release

4. You ran git flow feature finish login but your changes are not in develop. What is the likely problem?

medium

A. You forgot to push the develop branch after finishing the feature.

B. You did not commit changes before finishing the feature.

C. You started the feature branch from master instead of develop.

D. You finished the feature on the master branch.

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall feature branch base in Gitflow

   Feature branches should start from develop to ensure changes merge back there.

2. Step 2: Analyze why changes are missing in develop

   If the feature branch was started from master, finishing it merges changes into master, not develop, causing missing updates in develop.

3. Final Answer:

   You started the feature branch from master instead of develop. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Feature base must be develop [OK]

Hint: Feature branches must start from develop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming finishing auto-pushes changes
• Not committing before finishing
• Confusing master and develop as base

5. Your team wants to prepare a hotfix for a critical bug in production while a release is in progress. According to Gitflow, which sequence of commands correctly handles this situation?

hard

A. git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow release finish; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug

B. git flow release finish; git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug

C. git flow feature start fix-bug; git flow feature finish fix-bug

D. git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand hotfix purpose in Gitflow

   Hotfix branches are created from master to quickly fix production bugs, independent of ongoing releases.

2. Step 2: Check command sequence for hotfix

   Starting and finishing a hotfix with git flow hotfix start and git flow hotfix finish is the correct way, regardless of release status.

3. Step 3: Evaluate options

   git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug correctly starts and finishes the hotfix. git flow release finish; git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug delays hotfix until release finishes, which is not required. git flow feature start fix-bug; git flow feature finish fix-bug uses feature instead of hotfix. git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow release finish; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug incorrectly mixes release finish before hotfix finish.

4. Final Answer:

   git flow hotfix start fix-bug; git flow hotfix finish fix-bug -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Hotfix runs independently during release [OK]

Hint: Hotfix branches start and finish independently from release [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Waiting for release to finish before hotfix
• Using feature branch for hotfix
• Finishing release before hotfix finish