Feature Branch Workflow

A simple workflow where each feature is developed in its own branch.

The Workflow

1. Create branch from main
2. Develop feature
3. Push branch
4. Create pull request
5. Review and merge
6. Delete feature branch

Visual Flow

main:    o---o---o---o---M---o
              \       /
feature:       A---B---C

Step by Step

1. Create Feature Branch

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/user-login

2. Develop Feature

# Make changes
git add .
git commit -m "Add login form"

# More changes
git add .
git commit -m "Add validation"

3. Keep Up to Date

# Get latest main
git fetch origin main

# Rebase your branch (optional but recommended)
git rebase origin/main

4. Push Feature Branch

git push -u origin feature/user-login

5. Create Pull Request

On GitHub/GitLab:

• Open pull request
• Request reviews
• Address feedback
• Get approval

6. Merge and Cleanup

After merge:

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git branch -d feature/user-login

Branch Naming Conventions

Prefix	Purpose
feature/	New feature
bugfix/	Bug fix
hotfix/	Urgent fix
refactor/	Code refactoring
docs/	Documentation

Examples:

• feature/add-search
• bugfix/login-error
• hotfix/security-patch

Benefits

• Isolation: Features don't interfere
• Review: Changes reviewed before merging
• Rollback: Easy to revert entire feature
• Parallel work: Multiple features at once

Exercise: Feature Branch Workflow

Create a feature branch and make a commit: