Mastering Git Workflows for Teams

Effective Git workflows are essential for team collaboration and maintaining code quality. This guide explores different workflow strategies and their appropriate use cases.

Popular Git Workflows

Git Flow

A robust workflow for release-based development:

• Main branches: main and develop
• Supporting branches: feature, release, hotfix
• Best for: Projects with scheduled releases

GitHub Flow

A simpler workflow for continuous deployment:

1. Create a feature branch
2. Make commits
3. Open a pull request
4. Deploy and test
5. Merge to main

Best for: Web applications with continuous deployment

GitLab Flow

Combines the best of Git Flow and GitHub Flow:

• Environment-specific branches
• Upstream first policy
• Issue tracking integration

Branch Protection Rules

Implement quality gates:

# GitHub branch protection example
required_status_checks:
  strict: true
  contexts:
    - continuous-integration
    - code-review
enforce_admins: true
required_pull_request_reviews:
  required_approving_review_count: 2

Commit Best Practices

Conventional Commits

Structure your commit messages:

type(scope): description

feat(auth): add OAuth2 integration
fix(api): resolve memory leak in user service
docs(readme): update installation instructions

Atomic Commits

• One logical change per commit
• Include tests with feature changes
• Ensure each commit builds successfully

Advanced Techniques

Interactive Rebase

Clean up commit history before merging:

git rebase -i HEAD~3

Squash and Merge

Combine multiple commits into one:

git merge --squash feature-branch

Cherry-picking

Apply specific commits to other branches:

git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Tools and Integration

Pre-commit Hooks

Automate code quality checks:

{
  "husky": {
    "hooks": {
      "pre-commit": "lint-staged",
      "commit-msg": "commitlint -E HUSKY_GIT_PARAMS"
    }
  }
}

CI/CD Integration

Automate testing and deployment:

• Run tests on every push
• Deploy from specific branches
• Automated dependency updates

The key is choosing a workflow that matches your team's deployment cadence and collaboration style.