Working in multiple branches simultaneously in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Working in multiple branches simultaneously

Start on branch main

↓

Create new branch feature

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Switch to feature branch

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Make changes on feature

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Commit changes on feature

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Switch back to main

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Make changes on main

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Commit changes on main

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Branches have separate changes

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Merge or switch as needed

This flow shows how you create and switch between branches to work on different tasks separately, committing changes independently.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout -b feature
# Switch to new branch 'feature'
# Make changes and commit

git checkout main
# Switch back to 'main'
# Make changes and commit

This code creates a new branch, switches to it, commits changes, then switches back to main and commits other changes.

Process Table

Step	Command	Current Branch	Action	Result
1	git checkout -b feature	main	Create and switch to 'feature'	Now on branch 'feature'
2	edit files	feature	Make changes	Working directory changed on 'feature'
3	git commit -am 'feat: add feature'	feature	Commit changes	Commit added on 'feature'
4	git checkout main	feature	Switch to 'main'	Now on branch 'main'
5	edit files	main	Make changes	Working directory changed on 'main'
6	git commit -am 'fix: update main'	main	Commit changes	Commit added on 'main'
7	-	main	Branches have separate histories	Feature and main have different commits

💡 Finished working on both branches with separate commits

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 3	After 4	After 6	Final
Current Branch	main	feature	feature	main	main	main
Feature Branch Commits	0	0	1	1	1	1
Main Branch Commits	0	0	0	0	1	1

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why do changes on the 'feature' branch not appear when I switch back to 'main'?

Because each branch has its own separate commit history and working directory state, as shown in execution_table rows 3 and 4 where switching branches changes the current branch and working files.

Can I commit changes on one branch and then switch to another branch without losing those changes?

Yes, commits are saved per branch. The execution_table shows commits made on 'feature' (row 3) and then switching to 'main' (row 4) before making new commits (row 6).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 4, which branch is active after the command?

A feature

B main

C detached HEAD

D unknown

💡 Hint

Check the 'Current Branch' column at step 4 in execution_table

At which step does the first commit happen on the 'feature' branch?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 5

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look for 'Commit added on feature' in the 'Result' column of execution_table

If you made changes but did not commit on 'feature' and switched to 'main', what would happen?

A Changes stay on 'feature' and are not visible on 'main'

B Changes are lost

C Changes move automatically to 'main'

D Git prevents switching branches

💡 Hint

Git usually prevents switching branches if there are uncommitted changes that would be overwritten, not shown in execution_table but important to know

Concept Snapshot

Working with multiple branches means:
- Create a branch: git checkout -b branch_name
- Switch branches: git checkout branch_name
- Each branch has its own commits
- Changes on one branch do not affect others
- Commit changes before switching to avoid conflicts

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to work on multiple git branches at the same time. You start on the main branch, create a new branch called feature, and switch to it. Then you make changes and commit them on feature. Next, you switch back to main, make different changes, and commit there. Each branch keeps its own history and changes separate. This way, you can work on different tasks without mixing code. Remember to commit your changes before switching branches to avoid losing work.