Trunk-based development in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Trunk-based development

Start on trunk (main branch)

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Create short-lived feature branch

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Develop feature

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Merge back to trunk quickly

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Run tests on trunk

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Deploy from trunk

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Repeat for next feature

Trunk-based development means working on a single main branch, creating short-lived branches for features, merging them back quickly to keep code integrated and stable.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout main
# create feature branch
git checkout -b feature1
# make changes
# commit changes
git checkout main
git merge feature1

This sequence shows creating a feature branch from main, making changes, then merging back to main quickly.

Process Table

Step	Action	Branch	Commit State	Result
1	Checkout main branch	main	Initial commit	On main branch
2	Create feature branch 'feature1'	feature1	Same as main	New branch created
3	Make changes and commit on feature1	feature1	One new commit	Feature work done
4	Checkout main branch	main	Initial commit	Switched back to main
5	Merge feature1 into main	main	Initial + feature commit	Feature integrated
6	Delete feature1 branch	-	-	Clean up feature branch

💡 Feature branch merged quickly back to main, keeping trunk updated and stable

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	After 4	After 5	Final
Branch	main	main	feature1	feature1	main	main	main
Commit State	Initial commit	Initial commit	Initial commit	Initial + feature commit	Initial commit	Initial + feature commit	Initial + feature commit

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we create short-lived branches instead of working directly on main?

Short-lived branches let you work on features without breaking main. Execution table step 3 shows work on feature1 branch separate from main.

What happens if we wait too long to merge back to main?

Waiting too long causes big merges and conflicts. Trunk-based development merges quickly as shown in step 5 to keep integration smooth.

Why delete the feature branch after merging?

Deleting keeps the repo clean and avoids confusion. Step 6 shows branch deletion after merge.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what branch is active at step 3?

A main

B feature1

C develop

D release

💡 Hint

Check the 'Branch' column at step 3 in the execution table

At which step is the feature branch merged back into main?

A Step 5

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look for the 'Merge feature1 into main' action in the execution table

If we skip deleting the feature branch, what changes in the execution table?

A Step 3 would show main branch

B Step 5 would change branch name

C Step 6 would be missing

D No changes at all

💡 Hint

Step 6 shows branch deletion; skipping it removes that step

Concept Snapshot

Trunk-based development uses a single main branch.
Create short-lived feature branches.
Merge features back quickly to main.
Keep main branch stable and deployable.
Delete feature branches after merge.

Full Transcript

Trunk-based development is a way to keep all work integrated on one main branch called trunk or main. Developers create short-lived branches for features, work on them, then merge back quickly to avoid conflicts. This keeps the main branch stable and ready for deployment. The process involves checking out main, branching off, committing changes, merging back, and cleaning up branches. This method reduces integration problems and speeds up delivery.